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arXiv:1207.2269 · Optics Express

Generation of broadband spontaneous parametric fluorescence using multiple bulk nonlinear crystals

Masayuki Okano, Ryo Okamoto, Akira Tanaka, Shanthi Subashchandran, Shigeki Takeuchi

Published Jun 8, 2012• 32 citations
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Abstract

We propose a novel method for generating broadband spontaneous parametric fluorescence by using a set of bulk nonlinear crystals (NLCs). We also demonstrate this scheme experimentally. Our method employs a superposition of spontaneous parametric fluorescence spectra generated using multiple bulk NLCs. A typical bandwidth of 160 nm (73 THz) with a degenerate wavelength of 808 nm was achieved using two β-barium-borate (BBO) crystals, whereas a typical bandwidth of 75 nm (34 THz) was realized using a single BBO crystal. We also observed coincidence counts of generated photon pairs in a non-collinear configuration. The bandwidth could be further broadened by increasing the number of NLCs. Our demonstration suggests that a set of four BBO crystals could realize a bandwidth of approximately 215 nm (100 THz). We also discuss the stability of Hong-Ou-Mandel two-photon interference between the parametric fluorescence generated by this scheme. Our simple scheme is easy to implement with conventional NLCs and does not require special devices.

DOI
10.1364/oe.20.013977

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We propose a novel method for generating broadband spontaneous parametric fluorescence by using a set of bulk nonlinear crystals (NLCs). We also demonstrate this scheme experimentally. Our method employs a superposition of spontaneous parametric fluorescence spectra generated using multiple bulk NLCs. A typical bandwidth of 160 nm (73 THz) with a degenerate wavelength of 808 nm was achieved using two β-barium-borate (BBO) crystals, whereas a typical bandwidth of 75 nm (34 THz) was realized using a single BBO crystal. We also observed coincidence counts of generated photon pairs in a non-collinear configuration. The bandwidth could be further broadened by increasing the number of NLCs. Our demonstration suggests that a set of four BBO crystals could realize a bandwidth of approximately 215 nm (100 THz). We also discuss the stability of Hong-Ou-Mandel two-photon interference between the parametric fluorescence generated by this scheme. Our simple scheme is easy to implement with conventional NLCs and does not require special devices.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) based on Michelson interferometer has widely been utilized in biology and medicine as a type of optical biopsy and quantum optical coherence tomography (QOCT) based on Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer has recently been demonstrated. By use of quantum entangled photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) process, axial resolution of QOCT can be better than that of OCT in principle for a source of same bandwidth and group velocity dispersion (GVD) effect for QOCT can be automatically cancelled thanks to the frequency correlation of entangled photon pairs. To realize high-resolution QOCT, we need a broadband quantum entangled photon pair source. Then we proposed a novel conventional method to generate broadband spontaneous parametric fluorescence via SPDC by using multiple nonlinear crystals pumped by a CW laser. Our method has controllability to tune the center frequency of generated photons and scalability to extend the number of crystals. This conventional method can enable us to achieve sub-micron axial resolution of QOCT.
We theoretically and experimentally investigate the conditions necessary to realize highly indistinguishable single-photon sources using parametric down conversion. The visibilities of Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference between photons in different fluorescence pairs were measured and a visibility of 95.8 ± 2% was observed using a 0.7-mm-long beta barium borate crystal and 2-nm bandpass filters, after compensating for the reflectivity of the beam splitter. A theoretical model of HOM interference visibilities is proposed that considers non-uniform down conversion process inside the nonlinear crystal. It well explains the experimental results.
The indistinguishable photon-pair sources are valuable in many quantum information applications, such as quantum microscopy, quantum synchronization, and quantum metrology. Based on cascaded sum-frequency generation (SFG) and spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) processes, we propose and demonstrate a scheme for the generation of spatially separated broadband indistinguishable photon pairs in the telecom band by using only one piece of a fiber-pigtailed periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide in a modified Sagnac loop. The measured joint spectral intensity of the generated entangled photon pairs is 7.27 THz (57.6 nm) at the full width at half-maximum (FWHM). The Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) interference of the generated broadband photons is measured with bandwidths of 5.35 THz (∼42.8 nm) and 100 GHz (∼0.8 nm), respectively. Visibility of 94.0±1.4% is achieved with the bandwidth of 5.35 THz, demonstrating good indistinguishability of the generated two-photon states, which could benefit the development of quantum microscopy and quantum synchronization.
Many optical quantum applications rely on broadband frequency correlated photon pair sources. We previously reported a scheme for collinear emission of high-efficiency and ultra-broadband photon pairs using chirped quasi-phase matching (QPM) periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate (PPSLT) ridge waveguides. However, collinearly emitted photon pairs cannot be directly adopted for applications that are based on two-photon interference, such as quantum optical coherence tomography (QOCT). In this work, we developed a chirped QPM device with a slab waveguide structure. This device was designed to produce spatially separable (photon pair non-collinear emission) parametric fluorescence photon pairs with an ultra-broadband bandwidth in an extremely efficient manner. Using a non-chirped QPM slab waveguide, we observed a photon pair spectrum with a full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) bandwidth of 26 nm. When using a 3% chirped QPM slab waveguide, the FWHM bandwidth of the spectrum increased to 190 nm, and the base-to-base width is 308 nm. We also confirmed a generation efficiency of 2.4×10 6 pairs/( μ W·s) using the non-chirped device, and a efficiency of 8×10 5 pairs/( μ W·s) using the 3% chirped device under non-collinear emission conditions after single-mode fiber coupling. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of frequency correlated photon pairs generation using slab waveguide device as a source. In addition, using slab waveguides as photon pair sources, we performed two-photon interference experiments with the non-chirped device and obtained a Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) dip with a FWHM of 7.7 μ m and visibility of 98%. When using the 3% chirped device as photon pair source, the HOM measurement gave a 2 μ m FWHM dip and 74% visibility.
The frequency correlation (or decorrelation) of photon pairs is of great importance in long-range quantum communications and photonic quantum computing. We experimentally characterize a spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) source, based on a β-Barium Borate (BBO) crystal cut for type-II phase matching at 1550 nm which has the capability to emit photons with positive or no spectral correlations. Our system, depicted in Fig. 1a), employs a carefully designed detection method exploiting two InGaAs detectors.