Macroscopic quantum correlation using coherence manipulations of polarization-path correlations of a continuous-wave lase

Abstract

Abstract Quantum superposition is normally sustained in a microscopic regime governed by Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle applicable to a single particle. Quantum correlation between paired particles implies the violation of local realism governed by classical physics. Over the last decades, quantum features have been implemented in various quantum technologies including quantum computing, communications, and sensing. Such quantum features are generally known to be impossible by any classical means. Here, a macroscopic quantum correlation is presented for coherence manipulations of polarization-path correlations of a continuous wave laser, satisfying the joint-parameter relation in an inseparable product-basis form. For the coherence control of the polarization-path correlation, a pair of electro-optic modulators is used in a noninterfering Mach-Zehnder interferometer for deterministic switching between paired polarization bases, resulting in the polarization product-basis superposition in a selective product-basis choice manner by a followed pair of acousto-optic modulators. This unprecedented macroscopic quantum feature opens the door to a new understanding of quantum mechanics beyond the microscopic regime for future classical optics-compatible quantum information.