Computing with light
Optical gates, continuous variables and photonic resources. Four sourced contributions to read in sequence.
- STOP 1 OF 4 · Build an optical gate
Jeremy L. O’Brien
2003 · Demonstrating an optical controlled-NOT gate
Coauthored an all-optical controlled-NOT gate experiment that produced all four Bell states. The demonstrated gate was probabilistic, an important qualification for its use in scalable computation.
Coauthor of the probabilistic optical controlled-NOT experiment; shared experimental credit.
Read the contribution in context - STOP 2 OF 4 · Explore Gaussian information
Christian Weedbrook
2012 · A reference framework for Gaussian quantum information
Weedbrook co-authored a broad review of Gaussian quantum information, covering states, operations and measurements used in continuous-variable systems. It connected the formalism to quantum communication, cryptography and computation.
Co-author of the multi-author Gaussian quantum-information review.
Read the contribution in context - STOP 3 OF 4 · Connect photonic resources
Peter Lodahl
2025 · Fusing photonic resource states in time
Lodahl coauthored a demonstration that combines entangled resource states generated through a solid-state spin-photon interface. Repeated operation and temporal fusion provide a route to building larger entangled photonic systems from reusable physical resources.
Coauthor and corresponding author of the temporal-fusion paper; the experiment is a team contribution.
Read the contribution in context - STOP 4 OF 4 · Understand sampling complexity
Scott Aaronson
2010 · The complexity case for boson sampling
With Alex Arkhipov, Aaronson analyzed sampling from linear-optical circuits and gave complexity-theoretic reasons that efficient classical simulation would have unlikely consequences. The paper helped define an experimental route to testing quantum computational advantage without requiring a universal programmable quantum computer.
Joint theoretical work by Scott Aaronson and Alex Arkhipov; the hardness conclusions depend on stated complexity assumptions.
Read the contribution in context