High-Dimensional Entanglement of Photonic Angular Qudits

We propose a method for generation of entangled photonic states in high dimensions, the so-called qudits, by exploiting quantum correlations of Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) entangled photons, produced via Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion. Diffraction masks containing N angular slits placed in the path of twin photons define a qudit space of dimension N-2, spanned by the alternative pathways of OAM-entangled photons. We quantify the high-dimensional entanglement of path-entangled photons by the Concurrence, using an analytic expression valid for pure states. We report numerical results for the Concurrence as a function of the angular aperture size for the case of high-dimensional OAM entanglement and for the case of high-dimensional path entanglement, produced by N x M angular slits. Our results provide additional means for preparation and characterization of entangled quantum states in high-dimensions, a fundamental resource for quantum simulation and quantum information protocols.

Automated summary

We propose a method for generating entangled photonic states in high dimensions using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) entangled photons. By employing diffraction masks, a qudit space can be defined, and the high-dimensional entanglement of path-entangled photons can be quantified using the Concurrence.