Parametric Down-converted Photons Research Articles

Bragg grating based entangled biphoton dispersion management

In the realm of quantum information processing and precision measurements, a range of non-classical effects based on entangled photon pairs are employed. Non-local dispersion cancellation is one of these properties, in which the second photon (idler) can be manipulated to cancel the effects of dispersion on the first photon (signal). In the present study, a thorough investigation is conducted into non-local dispersion cancellation by using excitation modes within a Bragg grating slab waveguide. We present a complete theoretical analysis of non-local dispersion cancellation for frequency-limited entangled photon pairs. For the analysis of the effect of dispersion cancellation, we use a spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) photon pair source with frequency correlation and anti-correlation as the entangled source. To evaluate the dispersion cancellation effect for information processing applications, the second correlation function is used and calculated as a practical and tangible metric. Considering different cases for Bragg Grating waveguide the results on both photons are extracted and discussed. Moreover, we will show that the physical parameters of the waveguide that the second photon is propagated inside will be effective in minimizing the width of the temporal correlation function. Hence, this study underscores the feasibility of achieving non-local dispersion cancellation through strategic optimization of optical and geometric parameters in the Bragg Grating waveguide, with potential implications for quantum information processing and high-resolution sensing endeavors.

Enhancing the purity of single photons in parametric down-conversion through simultaneous pump-beam and crystal-domain engineering

Enhancing the purity of single photons in parametric down-conversion through simultaneous pump-beam and crystal-domain engineering

Quantum-enhanced phase imaging without coincidence counting

Quantitative phase imaging provides a way to image transparent objects, such as biological cells, and measure their thickness. We report on a phase-imaging method that achieves twice the phase shift and approximately 1.7 times the spatial resolution of an equivalent spatially and temporally coherent classical quantitative phase-imaging system by using quantum interference between successive spontaneous parametric downconversion events in a nonlinear crystal. Furthermore, our method is approximately 1000 times faster than imaging the parametric downconversion photons in coincidence, which requires measurement times on the order of tens of hours. Our method may be useful for imaging sensitive transparent objects that require low illumination intensities at near-infrared and longer illumination wavelengths, such as photosensitive biological samples.

Telecom quantum photonic interface for a 40Ca+ single-ion quantum memory

Entanglement-based quantum networks require quantum photonic interfaces between stationary quantum memories and photons, enabling entanglement distribution. Here we present such a photonic interface, designed for connecting a 40Ca+ single-ion quantum memory to the telecom C-band. The interface combines a memory-resonant, cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down-conversion photon pair source with bi-directional polarization-conserving quantum frequency conversion. We demonstrate preservation of high-fidelity entanglement during conversion, fiber transmission over up to 40 km and back-conversion to the memory wavelength. Even for the longest distance and bi-directional conversion the entanglement fidelity remains larger than 95% (98%) without (with) background correction.

Optimizing the coupling efficiency of spontaneous parametric down-conversion photon pairs into single-mode fibers

Both correlated-mode coupling efficiency and photon pair flux (brightness) of spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) coupled into single-mode fibers are key parameters for various quantum information science applications. We present an experimental investigation on the optimization of the correlated-mode coupling efficiency and the brightness of frequency-degenerated SPDC photon pairs into single-mode optical fibers. Using photon pairs generated from a type-I phase-matched bulk $\ensuremath{\beta}$-barium borate crystal pumped by a continuous-wave laser, we carefully evaluated both the correlated-mode coupling efficiency and the brightness of SPDC light coupled to a single-mode optical fiber, while continuously changing the focusing of the pump and collection modes, experimenting with Rayleigh lengths from 3 to 280 (for the pump) and 0.2 to 20 (for the collection) times the crystal length. The measured data suggest that the correlated-mode coupling efficiency can be close to unity for any pump focus, however, the optimal Rayleigh length of the collection mode depends on the pump focus parameter, and the brightness can be increased by tightening the pump focus, provided that the Rayleigh length of the collection mode is precisely adjusted. A maximal correlated-mode coupling efficiency of $99.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.3%$ was experimentally achieved. These results will be useful for photonic quantum science and technology using SPDC sources with high heralding efficiencies.

Generation of third-order parametric down-conversion photons via weak nonlinearities

A higher-order parametric down-conversion (PDC) photon state is amazingly different from the states involving independent photon pairs. We focus on the third-order PDC photons. Firstly, we present a symmetry detector which is capable of analyzing twin-beam six-photon symmetric states in the regime of weak nonlinearities. By cascading symmetry detectors, then, it is shown that one can generate third-order PDC photons from a class of twin-beam six-photon symmetric states. Finally, as an example, we describe an application of third-order PDC photons for exploring six-mode-photon entangled states with linear optics.

Optimised domain-engineered crystals for pure telecom photon sources.

The ideal photon-pair source for building up multi-qubit states needs to produce indistinguishable photons with high efficiency. Indistinguishability is crucial for minimising errors in two-photon interference, central to building larger states, while high heralding rates will be needed to overcome unfavourable loss scaling. Domain engineering in parametric down-conversion sources negates the need for lossy spectral filtering allowing one to satisfy these conditions inherently within the source design. Here, we present a telecom-wavelength parametric down-conversion photon source that operates on the achievable limit of domain engineering. We generate photons from independent sources which achieve two-photon interference visibilities of up to 98.6 ± 1.1% without narrow-band filtering. As a consequence, we reach net heralding efficiencies of up to 67.5%, which corresponds to collection efficiencies exceeding 90%.

Two-way single-photon-level frequency conversion between 852 nm and 1560 nm for connecting cesium D2 line with the telecom C-band.

A compact setup for two-way single-photon-level frequency conversion between 852 nm and 1560 nm has been implemented with the same periodically-poled magnesium-oxide-doped lithium niobate (PPMgO:LN) bulk crystals for connecting cesium D2 line (852 nm) to telecom C-band. By single-pass mixing a strong continuous-wave pump laser at 1878 nm and the single-photon-level periodical signal pulses in a 50-mm-long PPMgO:LN bulk crystal, the conversion efficiency of ∼ 1.7% (∼ 1.9%) for 852-nm to 1560-nm down-conversion (1560-nm to 852-nm up-conversion) have been achieved. We analyzed noise photons induced by the strong pump laser beam, including the spontaneous Raman scattering (SRS) and the spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) photons, and the photons generated in the cascaded nonlinear processes. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has been improved remarkably by using the narrow-band filters and changing polarization of the noise photons in the difference frequency generation (DFG) process. With further improvement of the conversion efficiency by employing PPMgO:LN waveguide, instead of bulk crystal, our study may provide the basics for cyclic photon conversion in quantum network.

Direct measurement of the PDC photon statistics by PNR detector

Based on the development of photon-number resolving (PNR) detection system with reliable photon-number resolution of 7 photons, we directly measure the photon-number statistics of the parametric down-conversion (PDC) light generated in a BBO crystal pumped by a continuous coherent laser. Experimental results show the relationship between the PDC photon counts and pump power can be expressed by an exponential growing function. We carry on further investigation on the photon statistics at different pump powers, and comprehensive comparison with the Poisson distribution, thermal distribution, and multi-thermal distribution. After deeply analyzing the correlation coefficient and the Mandle’s Q parameter, we demonstrate that the PDC photons generated in the experiment obey the quasi multi-thermal distribution, one kind of the super Poisson distribution.

High-dimensional angular two-photon interference and angular qudit states

Using angular position–orbital angular momentum entangled photons, we propose an experiment to generate maximally entangled states in D-dimensional quantum systems, the so called qudits, by exploiting correlations of parametric down-converted photons. Angular diffraction masks containing N angular slits in the arms of each twin photon define a qudit space of dimension N2, spanned by the alternative pathways of the photons. Numerical results for N angular slits with N = 2, 4, 5, 10 are reported. We discuss relevant experimental parameters for an experimental implementation of the proposed scheme using Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs), and twin-photons produced by Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC). The entanglement of the qudit state can be quantified in terms of the Concurrence, which can be expressed in terms of the visibility of the interference fringes, or by using Entanglement Witnesses. These results provide an additional means for preparing entangled quantum states in high-dimensions, a fundamental resource for quantum simulation and quantum information protocols.

Quantification of nonlocal dispersion cancellation for finite frequency entanglement.

Benefiting from the unique quantum feature of nonlocal dispersion cancellation (NDC), the strong temporal correlation of frequency-entangled photon pair source can be maintained from the unavoidable dispersive propagation. It has thus played a major role in many fiber-based quantum information applications. However, the limit of NDC due to finite frequency entanglement has not been quantified. In this study, we provide a full theoretical analysis of the NDC characteristics for the photon pairs with finite frequency entanglement. Experimental examinations were conducted by using two spontaneous parametric down-conversion photon pair sources with frequency correlation and anticorrelation properties. The excellent agreement demonstrates the fundamental limit on the minimum temporal correlation width by the nonzero two-photon spectral correlation width of the paired photons, which introduces an inevitable broadening by interaction with the dispersion in the signal path. This study provides an easily accessible tool for assessing and optimizing the NDC in various quantum information applications.

Hybrid frequency-time spectrograph for the spectral measurement of the two-photon state.

In this Letter, a hybrid frequency-time spectrograph combining a tunable optical filter and a dispersive element is presented for measurement of the spectral properties of the two-photon state. In comparison with the previous single-photon spectrograph utilizing the dispersive Fourier transformation (DFT) technique, this method is advanced since it avoids the need for additional wavelength calibration and the electronic laser trigger for coincidence measurement; therefore, its application is extended to continuous wave (CW) pumped two-photon sources. The achievable precision of the spectrum measurement has also been discussed in theory and demonstrated experimentally with a CW pumped periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide-based spontaneous parametric down-conversion photon source. Such a device is expected to be a versatile tool for the characterization of the frequency entangled two-photon state.

Quantum correlations from dynamically modulated optical nonlinear interactions

We investigate optical nonlinear interactions in a dynamic environment by studying generation of photons in spontaneous parametric down conversion inside a nonlinear cavity where the optical path length is periodically modulated in time. We show that the temporal dynamics of the cavity modify the nonlinear interaction and the generated continuous variable time-frequency entangled bi-photon state evolves into a tunable discrete higher dimensional state in the non-adiabatic modulation regime where the modulation time scales are much faster than the photon lifetime. In this regime, the system mimics effects of a quantum random walk in a photonic lattice with many associated effects including localized and delocalized wavefunctions of the generated photons. We also propose generation of time-frequency hyper-entangled states in the adiabatic limit. Our analysis shows that the proposed system is promising for applications in quantum simulation and information processing in the time-frequency domain.

Spatial control of spontaneous parametric down-conversion photon pairs through the use of apertured Bessel-Gauss pump beams

We demonstrate, both experimentally and theoretically, a method that allows us to modify the spatial properties of photon pairs produced by the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) with an apertured, zeroth-order Bessel-Gauss beam. Concentrating on the use of a half-plane aperture, we show that the phase-matching conditions for non-paraxial pump beams can be controlled by simply changing the aperture orientation. Partially blocking the pump beam, leads to a selection of either one of two individual cones that form a dual-cone SPDC angular spectrum, or a portion of both of them. We can likewise determine the shape and orientation of the conditional angular spectrum. This control of the SPDC spatial properties could be useful for quantum information processing protocols.

Direct transfer of pump amplitude to parametric down-converted photons

In general, the spatial distribution of individual photons (signal or idler) generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) does not evidently show any particular spatial mode structure because of their randomness in generation and the incoherent nature. Here, we numerically showed that all individual photons generated by the SPDC process carry the transverse amplitude as that of the pump and then confirmed it experimentally. The pump amplitude is revealed in SPDC when individual photons are spatially filtered from the total SPDC distribution. This is observed simply by imaging the photons that are filtered using a minimum-sized aperture. The phase measurements showed that the observed mode distribution does not possess the transverse phase distribution as that of the pump.

Heralded generation of high-purity ultrashort single photons in programmable temporal shapes.

We experimentally demonstrate a source of nearly pure single photons in arbitrary temporal shapes heralded from a parametric down-conversion (PDC) source at telecom wavelengths. The technology is enabled by the tailored dispersion of in-house fabricated waveguides with shaped pump pulses to directly generate the PDC photons in on-demand temporal shapes. We generate PDC photons in Hermite-Gauss and frequency-binned modes and confirm a minimum purity of 0.81, even for complex temporal shapes.

Optical implementation of spin squeezing

Quantum metrology enables estimation of optical phase shifts with precision beyond the shot-noise limit. One way to exceed this limit is to use squeezed states, where the quantum noise of one observable is reduced at the expense of increased quantum noise for its complementary partner. Because shot-noise limits the phase sensitivity of all classical states, reduced noise in the average value for the observable being measured allows for improved phase sensitivity. However, additional phase sensitivity can be achieved using phase estimation strategies that account for the full distribution of measurement outcomes. Here we experimentally investigate a model of optical spin-squeezing, which uses post-selection and photon subtraction from the state generated using a parametric downconversion photon source, and we investigate the phase sensitivity of this model. The Fisher information for all photon-number outcomes shows it is possible to obtain a quantum advantage of 1.58 compared to the shot-noise value for five-photon events, even though due to experimental imperfection, the average noise for the relevant spin-observable does not achieve sub-shot-noise precision. Our demonstration implies improved performance of spin squeezing for applications to quantum metrology.

Orbital angular momentum modes of high-gain parametric down-conversion

Light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM) are convenient carriers of quantum information. They can also be used for imparting rotational motion to particles and providing high resolution in imaging. Due to the conservation of OAM in parametric down-conversion (PDC), signal and idler photons generated at low gain have perfectly anti-correlated OAM values. It is interesting to study the OAM properties of high-gain PDC, where the same OAM modes can be populated with large, but correlated, numbers of photons. Here we investigate the OAM spectrum of high-gain PDC and show that the OAM mode content can be controlled by varying the pump power and the configuration of the source. In our experiment, we use a source consisting of two nonlinear crystals separated by an air gap. We discuss the OAM properties of PDC radiation emitted by this source and suggest possible modifications.

Uncovering dispersion properties in semiconductor waveguides to study photon-pair generation

We investigate the dispersion properties of ridge Bragg-reflection waveguides to deduce their phasematching characteristics. These are crucial for exploiting them as sources of parametric down-conversion (PDC). In order to estimate the phasematching bandwidth we first determine the group refractive indices of the interacting modes via Fabry–Perot experiments in two distant wavelength regions. Second, by measuring the spectra of the emitted PDC photons, we gain access to their group index dispersion. Our results offer a simple approach for determining the PDC process parameters in the spectral domain, and provide important feedback for designing such sources, especially in the broadband case.

Correlation Plenoptic Imaging With Entangled Photons

Plenoptic imaging is a novel optical technique for three-dimensional imaging in a single shot. It is enabled by the simultaneous measurement of both the location and the propagation direction of light in a given scene. In the standard approach, the maximum spatial and angular resolutions are inversely proportional, and so are the resolution and the maximum achievable depth of focus of the 3D image. We have recently proposed a method to overcome such fundamental limits by combining plenoptic imaging with an intriguing correlation remote-imaging technique: ghost imaging. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that correlation plenoptic imaging can be effectively achieved by exploiting the position-momentum entanglement characterizing spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) photon pairs. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we shall show that correlation plenoptic imaging with entangled photons may enable the refocusing of an out-of-focus image at the same depth of focus of a standard plenoptic device, but without sacrificing diffraction-limited image resolution.