Abstract

Cluster states, in which entanglement is distributed amongst numerous parties, have attracted interest due to their role as a resource for measurement-based quantum computing [1]. The traditional means for fabricating these highly-entangled states has been to sequentially combine the squeezed outputs from individual optical parametric oscillators (OPO) with a network of phase-shifters and beamsplitters [2]. While successful, this approach demands an optical footprint commensurate with the dimensionality of the produced state. Within the continuous-variable regime, a promising alternative is to begin with a source that is intrinsically multimode [3]. Toward that end, the frequency comb underlying femtosecond optical pulses contains upwards of ~ 10⁵ individual frequencies, which makes it an attractive starting point for the production of multipartite entanglement [4]. This work demonstrates the ability of OPOs synchronously pumped by a femtosecond pulse train to create scalable, adaptable multipartite photonic states in a single beam while exploiting femtosecond pulse shaping to perform a complete state analysis.

© 2013 IEEE