Demonstration of non-deterministic quantum logic operations using linear optical elements

Summary form only given. Knill, Laflamme, and Milburn (2001) showed that probabilistic quantum logic devices could be implemented using only linear optical elements, additional ancilla photons, and post-selection based on the output of single-photon detectors. These devices produce the desired result with certainty when a specific output from the detectors is obtained, but that will only occur for some fraction of the events. Here we report the experimental demonstration of two logic devices of this kind, a destructive controlled-NOT gate and a quantum parity check. In each of these devices, two polarization-encoded qubits in the form of two single photons from a parametric down-conversion source are incident on a polarizing beam splitter.