Two-qubit quantum state synthesis

Summary form only given. Entangled states are increasingly important for a number of emergent quantum technologies, including cryptography, teleportation, and computation. In order to fully exploit the potential of these technologies, the ability to create, manipulate and characterize arbitrary quantum states is vital. Here we present theoretical and experimental investigations on the production of general quantum states (e.g., partially mixed and partially entangled) of two qubits, represented by the polarization degrees of freedom of photons.