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arXiv:2602.08654

Compact linearly uncoupled resonators for efficient spontaneous parametric downconversion via angular phase matching

Alessia Stefano, Matteo Piccolini, Marco Liscidini

Published Feb 9, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

We report an integrated platform for efficient second-order nonlinear interactions based on linearly uncoupled resonators and angular phase matching. The proposed architecture confines phase control to a limited section of the device, maximizing field enhancement and effective nonlinear interaction length while simultaneously reducing the overall footprint. As an example we show the results for an AlGaAs-on-insulator structure demonstrating a photon-pair generation rate of 3.16 GHz/mW in the continuous-wave regime and 5.89 MHz under pulsed pumping. The generated biphoton state exhibits a Schmidt number K=1.02, indicating nearly uncorrelated photon pairs. The compact and reconfigurable nature of this approach, together with its independence from material-specific poling techniques, makes it applicable to a broad class of integrated $χ_2$ nonlinear platforms.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2602.08654

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We report an integrated platform for efficient second-order nonlinear interactions based on linearly uncoupled resonators and angular phase matching. The proposed architecture confines phase control to a limited section of the device, maximizing field enhancement and effective nonlinear interaction length while simultaneously reducing the overall footprint. As an example we show the results for an AlGaAs-on-insulator structure demonstrating a photon-pair generation rate of 3.16 GHz/mW in the continuous-wave regime and 5.89 MHz under pulsed pumping. The generated biphoton state exhibits a Schmidt number K=1.02, indicating nearly uncorrelated photon pairs. The compact and reconfigurable nature of this approach, together with its independence from material-specific poling techniques, makes it applicable to a broad class of integrated χ2χ_2χ2​ nonlinear platforms.
We demonstrate a reconfigurable photon pair source based on spontaneous parametric downconversion in a periodically poled aluminum nitride doubly resonant system. The device features two linearly uncoupled microring resonators integrated in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, enabling independent tuning of pump and signal/idler resonances without complex dispersion engineering. Using a silicon nitride strip-loaded waveguide on poled aluminum nitride, we achieve quasi-phase-matching and resonant enhancement over a broad spectral range. Simulations predict efficient generation across a bandwidth of over 200 nm, with rates exceeding 4 MHz/mW per resonance. This platform offers high performance, spectral tunability, and fabrication tolerance for integrated quantum photonic applications.
In this Letter, we theoretically study spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) in a periodically poled structure composed of two linearly uncoupled resonators that are nonlinearly coupled via a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The device does not require dispersion engineering to achieve efficient doubly resonant SPDC, and, unlike the case of a single resonator, one can reconfigure the system to generate photon pairs over a bandwidth of hundreds of nm. We consider the case of SPDC pumped at 775 nm in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device compatible with up-to-date technological platforms. We calculated pair generation rates of up to 250 MHz/mW pump power for a single resonance and integrated pair generation rates of up to 100 THz/mW pump power over 170 nm. When properly reconfigured, a single device can efficiently generate over a bandwidth of some 300 nm, covering the S, C, L, and U infrared bands.
Inverse design is a powerful tool in wave physics for compact, high-performance devices. To date, applications in photonics have mostly been limited to linear systems and it has rarely been investigated or demonstrated in the nonlinear regime. In addition, the “black box” nature of inverse design techniques has hindered the understanding of optimized inverse-designed structures. We propose an inverse design method with interpretable results to enhance the efficiency of on-chip photon generation rate through nonlinear processes by controlling the effective phase-matching conditions. We fabricate and characterize a compact, inverse-designed device using a silicon-on-insulator platform that allows a spontaneous four-wave mixing process to generate photon pairs at a rate of 1.1 MHz with a coincidence to accidental ratio of 162. Our design method accounts for fabrication constraints and can be used for scalable quantum light sources in large-scale communication and computing applications.
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Optical nonlinear processes in linearly uncoupled resonators are being actively studied as a convenient way to engineer and control the generation of non-classical light. In these structures, one can take advantage of the independent combs of resonances of two linearly uncoupled ring resonators for field enhancement, with the phase-matching condition being significantly relaxed compared to a single resonator. However, previous implementations of this approach have shown a limited operational bandwidth along with a significant reduction of the generation efficiency. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that a Mach–Zehnder interferometer can be used to effectively linearly uncouple two resonators and, at the same time, allows for their efficient nonlinear coupling. We demonstrate that this structure can lead to an unprecedented control over the rings' interaction and can operate over more than 160 nm, covering the S-, C-, and L-telecom bands. In addition, we show that the photon pair generation efficiency is increased by a factor of four with respect to previous implementations.