Open AccessBroadband diffraction of correlated photons from crystal superlattices
Author(s) -
Zi S. D. Toa,
Anna V. Paterova,
Leonid A. Krivitsky
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
quantum science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2058-9565
DOI - 10.1088/2058-9565/ac33b9
Subject(s) - photon , optics , superlattice , physics , broadband , optoelectronics , bandwidth (computing) , diffraction , lithium niobate , metrology , spontaneous parametric down conversion , quantum , quantum optics , quantum metrology , quantum network , telecommunications , quantum entanglement , computer science , quantum mechanics
Sources of broadband quantum correlated photons present a valuable resource for quantum metrology, sensing, and communication. Here, we report the generation of spectrally broadband correlated photons from frequency nondegenerate spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a custom-designed lithium niobate superlattice. The superlattice induces a nonlinear interference between the pump, signal and idler, resulting in an experimentally observed comb-like emission spanning 0.060 μ m and 1.4 μ m of spectral bandwidth at 0.647 μ m and 3.0 μ m wavelengths, respectively. While this broad mid-infrared bandwidth is attractive to quantum metrology and sensing due to the enablement of fast spectral multiplexing for data acquisition, the comb-like structure, achieved without an input frequency comb, offers targeted frequencies for quantum communication applications. In addition to useful technological applications, our concept offers an interesting analogy between optical diffraction in quantum and classical optics.