Single-photon quantum nondemolition detectors constructed with linear optics and projective measurements

Abstract

Optical quantum nondemolition devices can provide essential tools for quantum information processing. Here, we describe several optical interferometers that signal the presence of a single photon in a particular input state without destroying it. We discuss both entanglement-assisted and non-entanglement-assisted interferometers, with ideal and realistic detectors. We found that existing detectors with 88% quantum efficiency and single-photon resolution can yield output fidelities of up to 89%, depending on the input state. Furthermore, we construct expanded protocols to perform QND detections of single photons that leave the polarization invariant. For detectors with 88% efficiency we found polarization-preserving output fidelities of up to 98.5%.