We experimentally demonstrate that paired photons generated in different sections of a down-conversion cone, when some of the interacting waves show Poynting vector walk-off, carry different spatial correlations, and therefore a different degree of spatial entanglement. This is shown to be in agreement with theoretical results. We also discuss how this azimuthal distinguishing information of the down-conversion cone is relevant for the implementation of quantum sources aimed at the generation of entanglement in other degrees of freedom, such as polarization.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

1. G. Molina-Terriza, J. P. Torres and L. Torner, "Twisted photons," Nature Phys. 3, 305 - 310 (2007). [CrossRef]
2. A. Vaziri, J. Pan, T. Jennewein, G. Weihs and A. Zeilinger, "Concentration of Higher Dimensional Entanglement: Qutrits of Photon Orbital Angular Momentum," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 227902 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. G. Molina-Terriza, A. Vaziri, R. Ursin, and A. Zeilinger, " Experimental Quantum Coin Tossing," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 040501 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. J. T. Barreiro, N. K. Langford, N. A. Peters, and P. G. Kwiat, "Generation of Hyperentangled Photon Pairs," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 260501 (2005). [CrossRef]
5. J. P. Torres, A. Alexandrescu and L. Torner, "Quantum spiral bandwidth of entangled two-photon states," Phys. Rev. A 68050301(R) (2003). [CrossRef]
6. C. K. Law and J. H. Eberly, "Analysis and Interpretation of High Transverse Entanglement in Optical Parametric Down Conversion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 127903 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. H. H. Arnaut and G. A. Barbosa, "Orbital and Intrinsic Angular Momentum of Single Photons and Entangled Pairs of Photons Generated by Parametric Down-Conversion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 286 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. A. Mair, A. Vaziri, G. Weihs and A. Zeilinger, "Entanglement of the orbital angular momentum states of photons," Nature 412, 313-316 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. P. S. K. Lee, M. P. van Exter, and J. P. Woerdman, "How focused pumping affects type-II spontaneous parametric down-conversion," Phys. Rev. A 72, 033803 (2005). [CrossRef]
10. P. G. Kwiat, E. Waks, A. G. White, I. Appelbaum and P. H. Eberhard, "Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons," Phys. Rev. A 60, R773 (1999). [CrossRef]
11. J. Altepeter, E. Jeffrey, and P. Kwiat, "Phase-compensated ultra-bright source of entangled photons," Opt. Express,  13, 8951-8959(2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. J. P. Torres, G. Molina-Terriza and L. Torner, "The spatial shape of entangled photon states generated in noncollinear, walking parametric downconversion," J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 7, 235-239 (2005). [CrossRef]
13. A. Migdall, "Polarization directions of noncollinear phase-matched optical parametric downconversion output," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B,  141093-1098 (1997). [CrossRef]
14. M. H. Rubin, "Transverse correlation in optical spontaneous parametric down-conversion," Phys. Rev. A 54, 5349 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. G. Molina-Terriza, S. Minardi, Y. Deyanova, C. I. Osorio, M. Hendrych and J. P. Torres, "Control of the shape of the spatial mode function of photons generated in noncollinear spontaneous parametric down-conversion," Phys. Rev. A 72, 065802 (2005). [CrossRef]
16. M. V. Fedorov, M. A. Efremov, P. A. Volkov, E. V. Moreva, S. S. Straupe and S. P. Kulik, "Anisotropically and High Entanglement of Biphoton States Generated in Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 063901 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. G. Molina-Terriza, J. P. Torres and L. Torner, "Management of the Angular Momentum of Light: Preparation of Photons in Multidimensional Vector States of Angular Momentum," Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 013601 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. M. P. van Exter, A. Aiello, S. S. R. Oemrawsingh, G. Nienhuis, and J. P. Woerdman, "Effect of spatial filtering on the Schmidt decomposition of entangled photons," Phys. Rev. A 74, 012309 (2006). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt.

• J. P. Torres, G. Molina-Terriza and L. Torner, "The spatial shape of entangled photon states generated in noncollinear, walking parametric downconversion," J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 7, 235-239 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• A. Migdall, "Polarization directions of noncollinear phase-matched optical parametric downconversion output," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B,  141093-1098 (1997). [CrossRef]

Nature

• A. Mair, A. Vaziri, G. Weihs and A. Zeilinger, "Entanglement of the orbital angular momentum states of photons," Nature 412, 313-316 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nature Phys.

• G. Molina-Terriza, J. P. Torres and L. Torner, "Twisted photons," Nature Phys. 3, 305 - 310 (2007). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. Altepeter, E. Jeffrey, and P. Kwiat, "Phase-compensated ultra-bright source of entangled photons," Opt. Express,  13, 8951-8959(2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• M. P. van Exter, A. Aiello, S. S. R. Oemrawsingh, G. Nienhuis, and J. P. Woerdman, "Effect of spatial filtering on the Schmidt decomposition of entangled photons," Phys. Rev. A 74, 012309 (2006). [CrossRef]
• M. H. Rubin, "Transverse correlation in optical spontaneous parametric down-conversion," Phys. Rev. A 54, 5349 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Molina-Terriza, S. Minardi, Y. Deyanova, C. I. Osorio, M. Hendrych and J. P. Torres, "Control of the shape of the spatial mode function of photons generated in noncollinear spontaneous parametric down-conversion," Phys. Rev. A 72, 065802 (2005). [CrossRef]
• P. S. K. Lee, M. P. van Exter, and J. P. Woerdman, "How focused pumping affects type-II spontaneous parametric down-conversion," Phys. Rev. A 72, 033803 (2005). [CrossRef]
• P. G. Kwiat, E. Waks, A. G. White, I. Appelbaum and P. H. Eberhard, "Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons," Phys. Rev. A 60, R773 (1999). [CrossRef]
• J. P. Torres, A. Alexandrescu and L. Torner, "Quantum spiral bandwidth of entangled two-photon states," Phys. Rev. A 68050301(R) (2003). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• C. K. Law and J. H. Eberly, "Analysis and Interpretation of High Transverse Entanglement in Optical Parametric Down Conversion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 127903 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. H. Arnaut and G. A. Barbosa, "Orbital and Intrinsic Angular Momentum of Single Photons and Entangled Pairs of Photons Generated by Parametric Down-Conversion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 286 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Vaziri, J. Pan, T. Jennewein, G. Weihs and A. Zeilinger, "Concentration of Higher Dimensional Entanglement: Qutrits of Photon Orbital Angular Momentum," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 227902 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Molina-Terriza, A. Vaziri, R. Ursin, and A. Zeilinger, " Experimental Quantum Coin Tossing," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 040501 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. T. Barreiro, N. K. Langford, N. A. Peters, and P. G. Kwiat, "Generation of Hyperentangled Photon Pairs," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 260501 (2005). [CrossRef]
• M. V. Fedorov, M. A. Efremov, P. A. Volkov, E. V. Moreva, S. S. Straupe and S. P. Kulik, "Anisotropically and High Entanglement of Biphoton States Generated in Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion," Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 063901 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Molina-Terriza, J. P. Torres and L. Torner, "Management of the Angular Momentum of Light: Preparation of Photons in Multidimensional Vector States of Angular Momentum," Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 013601 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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