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arXiv:1812.07904 · Physical Review A

Pulse shaping using dispersion-engineered difference frequency generation

Markus Allgaier, Vahid Ansari, John M. Donohue, Christof Eigner, Viktor Quiring, Raimund Ricken, Benjamin Brecht, Christine Silberhorn

Published Apr 15, 2020• 12 citations
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Abstract

The temporal-mode (TM) basis is a prime candidate to perform high-dimensional quantum encoding. Quantum frequency conversion has been employed as a tool to perform tomographic analysis and manipulation of ultrafast states of quantum light necessary to implement a TM-based encoding protocol. While demultiplexing of such states of light has been demonstrated in the quantum pulse gate (QPG), a multiplexing device is needed to complete an experimental framework for TM encoding. In this work we demonstrate the reverse process of the QPG. A dispersion-engineered difference frequency generation in nonlinear optical waveguides is employed to imprint the pulse shape of the pump pulse onto the output. We study experimentally the process by spectrally shaping the first five orders of Hermite-Gauss modes of various bandwidths. Finally, we establish and model the limits of practical, reliable spectral pulse shaping operation.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.101.043819

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The temporal-mode (TM) basis is a prime candidate to perform high-dimensional quantum encoding. Quantum frequency conversion has been employed as a tool to perform tomographic analysis and manipulation of ultrafast states of quantum light necessary to implement a TM-based encoding protocol. While demultiplexing of such states of light has been demonstrated in the quantum pulse gate (QPG), a multiplexing device is needed to complete an experimental framework for TM encoding. In this work we demonstrate the reverse process of the QPG. A dispersion-engineered difference frequency generation in nonlinear optical waveguides is employed to imprint the pulse shape of the pump pulse onto the output. We study experimentally the process by spectrally shaping the first five orders of Hermite-Gauss modes of various bandwidths. Finally, we establish and model the limits of practical, reliable spectral pulse shaping operation.
Full control over the spatiotemporal structure of quantum states of light is an important goal in quantum optics, to generate, for instance, single-mode quantum pulses or to encode information on multiple modes, enhancing channel capacities. Quantum light pulses feature an inherent, rich spectral broadband-mode structure. In recent years, exploring the use of integrated optics as well as source engineering has led to a deep understanding of the pulse-mode structure of guided quantum states of light. In addition, several groups have started to investigate the manipulation of quantum states by means of single-photon frequency conversion. In this paper, we explore new routes towards complete control of the inherent pulse-modes of ultrafast pulsed quantum states by employing specifically designed nonlinear waveguides with adapted dispersion properties. Starting from our recently proposed quantum pulse gate (QPG), we further generalize the concept of spatiospectral engineering for arbitrary χ (2) -based quantum processes. We analyse the sum-frequency generation-based QPG and introduce the difference-frequency generation-based quantum pulse shaper (QPS). Together, these versatile and robust integrated optical devices allow for arbitrary manipulations of the pulse-mode structure of ultrafast pulsed quantum states. The QPG can be utilized to select an arbitrary pulse mode from a multimode input state, whereas the QPS enables the generation of specific pulse modes from an input wavepacket with a Gaussian-shaped spectrum.
Photonic temporal modes (TMs) form a field-orthogonal basis set representing a continuous-variable degree of freedom that is in principle infinite dimensional, and create a promising resource for quantum information science and technology. The ideal quantum pulse gate (QPG) is a device that multiplexes and demultiplexes temporally orthogonal optical pulses that have the same carrier frequency, spatial mode, and polarization. The QPG is the chief enabling technology for usage of orthogonal temporal modes as a basis for high-dimensional quantum information storage and processing. The greatest hurdle for QPG implementation using nonlinear-optical, parametric processes with time-varying pump or control fields is the limitation on achievable temporal mode selectivity, defined as perfect TM discrimination combined with unity efficiency. We propose the use of pulsed nonlinear frequency conversion in an optical cavity having greatly different finesses for different frequencies to implement a nearly perfectly TM-selective QPG in a low-loss integrated-optics platform.
The time-frequency degree of freedom is a powerful resource for implementing high-dimensional quantum information processing. In particular, field-orthogonal pulsed temporal modes offer a flexible framework compatible with both long-distance fibre networks and integrated waveguide devices. In order for this architecture to be fully utilised, techniques to reliably generate diverse quantum states of light and accurately measure complex temporal waveforms must be developed. To this end, nonlinear processes mediated by spectrally shaped pump pulses in group-velocity engineered waveguides and crystals provide a capable toolbox. In this review, we examine how tailoring the phasematching conditions of parametric downconversion and sum-frequency generation allows for highly pure single-photon generation, flexible temporal-mode entanglement, and accurate measurement of time-frequency photon states. We provide an overview of experimental progress towards these goals, and summarise challenges that remain in the field.
High-dimensional quantum information processing promises capabilities beyond the current state of the art, but addressing individual information-carrying modes presents a significant experimental challenge. Here we demonstrate effective high-dimensional operations in the time-frequency domain of nonclassical light. We generate heralded photons with tailored temporal-mode structures through the pulse shaping of a broadband parametric down-conversion pump. We then implement a quantum pulse gate, enabled by dispersion-engineered sum-frequency generation, to project onto programmable temporal modes, reconstructing the quantum state in seven dimensions. We also manipulate the time-frequency structure by selectively removing temporal modes, explicitly demonstrating the effectiveness of engineered nonlinear processes for the mode-selective manipulation of quantum states.
Time-frequency Schmidt (TFS) modes of ultrafast quantum states are naturally compatible with high-bit-rate integrated quantum communication networks. Thus they offer an attractive alternative for the realization of high-dimensional quantum optics. Here, we present a quantum pulse gate based on dispersion-engineered ultrafast frequency conversion in a nonlinear optical waveguide, which is a key element for harnessing the potential of TFS modes. We experimentally retrieve the modal spectral-temporal structure of our device and demonstrate a single-mode operation fidelity of 80%, which is limited by experimental shortcomings. In addition, we retrieve a conversion efficiency of 87.7% with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 8.8 when operating the quantum pulse gate at the single-photon level.
We introduce the concept of a quantum pulse gate (QPG), a method for accessing the intrinsic broadband spectral mode structure of ultrafast quantum states of light. This mode structure can now be harnessed for applications in quantum information processing. We propose an implementation in a PPLN waveguide, based on spectrally engineered sum frequency generation (SFG). It allows us to pick well-defined spectral broadband modes from an ultrafast multi-mode state for interconversion to a broadband mode at another frequency. By pulse-shaping the bright SFG pump beam, different orthogonal broadband modes can be addressed individually and extracted with high fidelity. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America