Battements de photons uniques dans un interféromètre à base de modulateurs acousto-optiques

International audienceWe present in the following a quantum optics experiment appropriate for advanced undergraduate students with former experience in quantum optics. It extends classical single photon setups to the time dependent domain. We demonstrate self-heterodyning of heralded single photons using a Mach-Zender like interferometer where beamsplitters are replaced by two acousto-optic modulators (AOMs). The single pho-ton beat note is recorded over time at the frequency difference between the RF generators driving the AOMs, which makes it observable directly on a human time scale i. e. with periods above a fraction of a second. To compare with our observations, we tailor the standard quantum optics formalism for beam splitters to take into account the frequency shifts associated with the AOMs