Time-frequency metrology with two single-photon states: phase space picture and the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer

Abstract

We use time-frequency continuous variables as the standard framework to describe states of light in the subspace of individual photons occupying distinguishable auxiliary modes. We adapt to this setting the interplay between metrological properties and the phase space picture already extensively studied for quadrature variables. We also discuss in details the Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer, which was previously shown to saturate precision limits, and provide a general formula for the coincidence probability of a generalized version of this experiment. From the obtained expression, we systematically analyze the optimality of this measurement setting for arbitrary unitary transformations applied to each one of the input photons. As concrete examples, we discuss transformations which can be represented as translations and rotations in time-frequency phase space for some specific states.