Quantum-clustered two-photon walks
David S. Simon, Shuto Osawa, Alexander V. Sergienko
Abstract
We demonstrate a previously unknown two-photon effect in a discrete-time quantum walk. Two identical bosons with no mutual interactions nonetheless can remain clustered together as they walk on a lattice of directionally reversible optical four-ports acting as Grover coins; both photons move in the same direction at each step due to a two-photon quantum interference phenomenon reminiscent of the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect. The clustered two-photon amplitude splits into two localized parts, one oscillating near the initial point and the other moving ballistically without spatial spread, in solitonlike fashion. But the two photons are always clustered in the same part of the superposition, leading to potential applications for transport of entanglement and opportunities for novel two-photon interferometry experiments.