Experimental validation of photonic boson sampling

Abstract

A boson sampling device is a specialized quantum computer that solves a problem that is strongly believed to be computationally hard for classical computers. Recently, a number of small-scale implementations have been reported, all based on multiphoton interference in multimode interferometers. Akin to several quantum simulation and computation tasks, an open problem in the hard-to-simulate regime is to what extent the correctness of the boson sampling outcomes can be certified. Here, we report new boson sampling experiments on larger photonic chips and analyse the data using a recently proposed scalable statistical test. We show that the test successfully validates small experimental data samples against the hypothesis that they are uniformly distributed. In addition, we show how to discriminate data arising from either indistinguishable or distinguishable photons. Our results pave the way towards larger boson sampling experiments whose functioning, despite being non-trivial to simulate, can be certified against alternative hypotheses

High-dimensional unitary transformations and boson sampling on temporal modes using dispersive optics

“…Unitary transformations on optical modes have been used to implement single-particle quantum gates [1,2], quantum simulations [3], and boson sampling [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Traditionally, these transformations are implemented on spatial modes using a system of beam splitters.…”

“…In conventional boson sampling schemes that use spatial modes [which we refer to as spatial mode boson sampling (SMBS)], multiple identical photons enter a high-dimensional transformation over spatial modes, such as a system of beam splitters and phase shifters, while the output probability distribution is monitored with detectors at each of the output modes [5][6][7][8][9][10][11], as shown in Fig. 1.…”

From Three-Photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States to Ballistic Universal Quantum Computation

“…Since then, several proposals have developed the idea of a linear optical quantum computer (LOQC), including Nielsen's proposal [2] of combining linear optics with cluster states, Browne and Rudolph's fusion mechanisms [5] to efficiently create optical cluster states and Kieling's et al proposal [4] of building an imperfect cluster that can be renormalized using ideas of percolation theory. While alternative schemes for LOQC [5] using parity state encoding [6] or small amplitude coherent states [7] have been proposed, we do not address these approaches in this manuscript.Recent demonstrations [8][9][10][11][12] have made significant progress towards experimental linear-optical quantum computing. In particular, the use of integrated photonics to implement large-scale, complex interferometers on a chip shows great promise.…”

“…Recent demonstrations [8][9][10][11][12] have made significant progress towards experimental linear-optical quantum computing. In particular, the use of integrated photonics to implement large-scale, complex interferometers on a chip shows great promise.…”

Cavity-Funneled Generation of Indistinguishable Single Photons from Strongly Dissipative Quantum Emitters

“…The associated efficiency is found to greatly surpass spectral filtering effects. Our findings open the path towards on-chip scalable indistinguishable-photon emitting devices operating at room temperature.Indistinguishable single photons are the building blocks of various optically-based quantum information applications such as linear optical quantum computing [1, 2], boson sampling [3][4][5][6][7], quantum teleportation [8] or quantum networks [9]. Indistinguishable photons are usually generated either using parametric down conversion [10], or alternatively directly from a single two-level quantum emitter such as atoms, color centers, quantum dots or organic molecules [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”