All-fiber source and sorter for multimode correlated photons

Abstract

Photons occupying multiple spatial modes hold a great promise for implementing high-dimensional quantum communication. We use spontaneous four-wave mixing to generate multimode photon pairs in a few-mode fiber. We show the photons are correlated in the fiber mode basis using an all-fiber mode sorter. Our demonstration offers an essential building block for realizing high-dimensional quantum protocols based on standard, commercially available fibers, in an all-fiber configuration.