Hong-Ou-Mandel interference mediated by the magnetic plasmon waves in a three-dimensional optical metamaterial

• Published in: Optics express Vol. 20; no. 5; pp. 5213 - 5218
• Main Authors: Wang, S M, Mu, S Y, Zhu, C, Gong, Y X, Xu, P, Liu, H, Li, T, Zhu, S N, Zhang, X
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 27.02.2012
• Subjects: Computer Simulation; Magnetic Fields; Manufactured Materials; Models, Theoretical; Quantum Theory; Refractometry - methods; Surface Plasmon Resonance - methods
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/oe.20.005213

We studied the quantum properties of magnetic plasmon waves in a three-dimensional coupled metamaterial. A Hong-Ou-Mandel dip of two-photon interference with a visibility of 86 ± 6.0% was explicitly observed, when the sample was inserted into one of the two arms of the interferometer. This meant that the quantum interference property survived in such a magnetic plasmon wave-mediated transmission process, thus testifying the magnetic plasmon waves owned a quantum nature. A full quantum model was utilized to describe our experimental results. The results showed that the metamaterials could not only steer the classical light but also the non-classical light and they might have potential application in the future quantum information.