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arXiv:2404.07421 · Chinese Optics Letters

Controllable transitions among phase-matching conditions in a single nonlinear crystal

Ziqi Zeng, Shi-Xin You, Zixiang Yang, Chenzhi Yuan, Chenglong You, Rui‐Bo Jin

Published Jan 1, 2024• 10 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Entangled photon pairs are crucial resources for quantum information processing protocols.Via the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC), we can generate these photon pairs using bulk nonlinear crystals.Traditionally, the crystal is designed to satisfy a specific type of phase-matching condition.Here, we report controllable transitions among different types of phase matching in a single periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal.By carefully selecting pump conditions, we can satisfy different phase-matching conditions.This allows us to observe first-order Type-II, fifth-order Type-I, third-order Type-0, and fifth-order Type-II SPDCs.The temperature-dependent spectra of our source were also analyzed in detail.Finally, we discussed the possibility of observing more than nine SPDCs in this crystal.Our work not only deepens the understanding of the physics behind phase-matching conditions, but also offers the potential for a highly versatile entangled biphoton source for quantum information research.

DOI
10.3788/col202422.021901

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Entangled photon pairs are crucial resources for quantum information processing protocols.Via the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC), we can generate these photon pairs using bulk nonlinear crystals.Traditionally, the crystal is designed to satisfy a specific type of phase-matching condition.Here, we report controllable transitions among different types of phase matching in a single periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal.By carefully selecting pump conditions, we can satisfy different phase-matching conditions.This allows us to observe first-order Type-II, fifth-order Type-I, third-order Type-0, and fifth-order Type-II SPDCs.The temperature-dependent spectra of our source were also analyzed in detail.Finally, we discussed the possibility of observing more than nine SPDCs in this crystal.Our work not only deepens the understanding of the physics behind phase-matching conditions, but also offers the potential for a highly versatile entangled biphoton source for quantum information research.
A nonlinear process based on backward quasi-phase matching (BQPM) can be used to realize mirrorless optical parametric oscillation, the generation of paired photons with a separable joint spectral amplitude and narrow wavelength bandwidth, and the preparation of counterpropagating polarization-entangled photons, which shows distinct advantages over some applications based on forward quasi-phase matching. In this work, three types of BQPM in a bulk periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal with a single period are theoretically analyzed. Experimentally, the harmonic wave generated by second-harmonic generation in type 0 and type I exhibits a narrow bandwidth of 15.5 GHz. Furthermore, photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion in all types of BQPM (type 0, type I, and type II) at 7th order are observed and characterized. Their coincidence-to-accidental ratios are all greater than 5 × 10 3 in the pump power range from 10 mW to 500 mW. This research lays the foundation for further applications of BQPM in nonlinear optics, quantum optics, and quantum information processing.
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We present a simple but highly efficient source of polarization-entangled photons based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in bulk periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystals (PPKTP) pumped by a 405 nm laser diode. Utilizing one of the highest available nonlinear coefficients in a non-degenerate, collinear type-0 phase-matching configuration, we generate polarization entanglement via the crossed-crystal scheme and detect 0.64 million photon pair events/s/mW, while maintaining an overlap fidelity with the ideal Bell state of 0.98 at a pump power of 0.025 mW.
We present a simple but highly efficient source of polarization-entangled photons based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in bulk periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystals (PPKTP) pumped by a 405 nm laser diode. Utilizing one of the highest available nonlinear coefficients in a non-degenerate, collinear type-0 phase-matching configuration, we generate polarization entanglement via the crossed-crystal scheme and detect 0.64 million photon pair events/s/mW, while maintaining an overlap fidelity with the ideal Bell state of 0.98 at a pump power of 0.025 mW.
We theoretically investigate the properties of extended phase-matching (EPM) for spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in four kinds of potassium titanyl phosphate isomorphs ( i.e. , KTiOPO 4 , KTiOAsO 4 , RbTiOPO 4 , and RbTiOAsO 4 crystals). The technique is based on Type II 2nd-order nonlinear optic interaction in periodically poled ferroelectric domain structures, where a single photon with a frequency of 2 ω generates a pair of photons with frequencies of ω that are orthogonally polarized with respect to each other. Under EPM, both quasi-phase matching (QPM) and group velocity (GV) matching between interacting waves are efficiently satisfied for the generation of a pair of polarization-entangled bi-photon states with frequencies of ω . Our simulation results show that the generated photon pairs have broad spectral bandwidths of over 69 - 95 nm in tele-communication bands, which are much broader than those of the typical non-EPM case ( e.g. , ~ sub-nm bandwidth when only the QPM, not the GV matching, is achieved). We will describe the EPM properties of the four kinds of KTP isomorphs in terms of interaction type, GV matching wavelength, domain poling period, and spectral bandwidth. We highlight that the KTP isomorphs have nice potential as suitable components for constituting new quantum information processing systems.
The Periodically Poled Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (PPKTP) is a type of non linear crystal that serves as a source of production of entangled pairs of photons. The produced pair of photons, known as the Signal and Idler photons, possess unique characteristics within their entanglement that allow the production of new technologies such as quantum cryptography and quantum teleportation. The creation of the Signal and Idler photons occur through a process named Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC), which occurs when the pump laser beam penetrates a non linear medium. SPDC follows conservation of momentum and energy, thus imposing phase matching conditions on the generated photon pairs. These conditions result in specific space and frequency correlations of the photons. The aim of this project is to characterize the entangled photon pairs in their spatial profile and frequency spectrum, known as the Joint Spectrum.