Temporal mode sorting using dual-stage quantum frequency conversion by asymmetric Bragg scattering.

The temporal shape of single photons provides a high-dimensional basis of temporal modes, and can therefore support quantum computing schemes that go beyond the qubit. However, the lack of linear optical components to act as quantum gates has made it challenging to efficiently address specific temporal-mode components from an arbitrary superposition. Recent progress towards realizing such a "quantum pulse gate," has been proposed using nonlinear optical signal processing to add coherently the effect of multiple stages of quantum frequency conversion. This scheme, called temporal-mode interferometry [D. V. Reddy, Phys. Rev. A 91, 012323 (2015)], has been shown in the case of three-wave mixing to promise near-unity mode-sorting efficiency. Here we demonstrate that it is also possible to achieve high mode-sorting efficiency using four-wave mixing, if one pump pulse is long and the other short - a configuration we call asymmetrically-pumped Bragg scattering.