Key research interests:

The group at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich was recently established. It originates from the Quantum Physics group of Anton Zeilinger in Innsbruck and is lead by Harald Weinfurter. Research concentrates on photonic quantum communication and experiments with entangled photons on the foundations of quantum physics. Our projects include, for example, practicable quantum cryptography, design of single photon sources, and improvements of pair-photon sources. It is a declared goal of our group to make quantum mechanics applicable by invesigating the basic principles and by devising the proper tools.

The group has significant experience and contributed to various key experiments in photonic quantum communication. Members of the team pioneered Bell-state analysis (1), the basic element of many quantum communication protocols. We contributed to the first demonstrations of Quantum Dense Coding and Quantum Teleportation (2), and participated in the development of pulsed gneration of entangled photon pairs (3). Moreover, we also have experience in quantum state tomography and interferometry with He-atoms and the construction of ion-trap quantum logic-gates (4). More recently we achieved the realisation of new quantum communication procedures and obtained a significant increase in the yield of photon pairs by enhancing down conversion (5).

Member EC involvement:

 

 

List of researchers/contributors:

Prof Dr Harald Weinfurter
Dr Christian Kurtsiefer

 

Key publications:

  1. H.Weinfurter, Europh. Lett. 25, 559 (1994)
    M.Michler, K.Mattle, H.Weinfurter, A.Zeilinger, Phys. Rev. A 53, R1209 (1996)
  2. K.Mattle, H.Weinfurter, P.G.Kwait, A.Zeilinger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 4656 (1996)
    D.Bouwmeester, J.W. Pan, K.Mattle, M.Eibl, H.Weinfurter, A.Zeilinger, Nature 390, 576 (1997).
  3. M.Zukowski, A.Zeilinger, H.Weinfurter, Proc. 'Fundamental problems in Quantum Theory', New York Academy of Sciences 1995, pp.91
    M.Eibl, K.Mattle, H.Weinfurter, A.Zeilinger, Proc.of an Adriatico Workshop, Trieste, Italy, DeMartini et al (eds.), VCH-Publisher, Mannheim, F.R.G, 1996, pp 57
  4. Ch.Kurtsiefer, J.Mlynek, Applied Physics. B, 64, 85 (1997)
    Ch.Kurtsiefer, T.Pfau, J.Mlynek, Nature, 386, 150 (1997)
    T.Pfau, S.Spalter, Ch.Kurtsiefer, Physical Review Letters, 73, 1223 (1994)
  5. M.Michler, R.Risco-Delgado, H.Weinfurter: Remote State Preparation, Technical Digest, EQEC'98, Glasgow, p99