Exploring Hilbert space: Accurate characterization of quantum information

We report the creation of a wide range of quantum states with controllable degrees of entanglement and entropy using an optical two-qubit source based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The states are characterized using measures of entanglement and entropy determined from tomographically determined density matrices. The tangle-entropy plane is introduced as a graphical representation of these states, and the theoretic upper bound for the maximum amount of entanglement possible for a given entropy is presented. Such a combination of general quantum state creation and accurate characterization is an essential prerequisite for quantum device development.