Photon Temporal Modes: A Complete Framework for Quantum Information Science

Abstract

Field-orthogonal temporal modes of photonic quantum states provide a new framework for quantum information science (QIS). They intrinsically span a high-dimensional Hilbert space and lend themselves to integration into existing single-mode fiber communication networks. We show that the three main requirements to construct a valid framework for QIS—the controlled generation of resource states, the targeted and highly efficient manipulation of temporal modes, and their efficient detection—can be fulfilled with current technology. We suggest implementations of diverse QIS applications based on this complete set of building blocks.