Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2610.18203

Optical parametric amplification of spatiotemporal optical vortices

Houan Teng, Chenhao Wan, Qiwen Zhan

physics.opticsquant-phSubmitted Oct 13, 2026• Announced Oct 14, 2026
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) are structured light featuring a phase singularity in the spatiotemporal domain, exhibiting unique topology that couples spatial and temporal dimensions. To date, amplification of STOVs remains unexplored, and their wavelength tunability is limited by available light sources. In this work, we present the theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration of optical parametric amplification (OPA) of STOVs. The pulse energy of the STOV signal is enhanced by a factor of 60, while its spatiotemporal structure is robustly preserved. The generated idler inherits the phase-conjugated STOV topology with the opposite topological charge, governed by simultaneous conservation of energy, linear momentum, and spatiotemporal orbital angular momentum. The intrinsic wavelength-conversion capability of OPA further provides a route towards spectrally tunable STOV generation, spanning from visible to near-infrared wavelength regimes. This work paves the way toward further development of multi-stage amplification architectures, facilitating applications of wavelength-tunable spatiotemporally structured light at ultrahigh intensities.

Related papers

Propagation of spatiotemporal optical vortex beams in electromagnetically-induced transparency media

Jinze Wu, Lai Wei, Nan Huo +3 more

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a fundamental effect in quantum optics, providing a versatile platform for quantum technologies. A growing frontier is the integration of EIT with structured light, particularly vortex beams. Extending this to the spatiotemporal domain, we herein study the propagation and evolution of spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) beams in an EIT medium. We derive an analytical solution for the evolved STOV field and its stability criterion, and analyze the propagation dynamics with a primary focus on the evolution of the phase singularity. Following the splitting of the initial multi-charge STOV phase singularity upon propagation, the dynamics of the resultant first-order phase singularities are governed by the interplay of first-order loss dispersion (FLD), second-order loss dispersion (SLD), and group velocity dispersion (GVD) of the EIT medium. FLD dictates their overall directional shift, while SLD governs their mutual separation. Under normal GVD, the phase singularities evolve into parallel π -phase step lines and subsequently undergo a topological charge reversal; under zero GVD, only π -phase step lines are formed without topological charge reversal; both transitions are absent under anomalous GVD. These transitions occur in the far zone when the STOV’s center frequency lies within the EIT window, whereas around the absorption peak, they occur at a distance just prior to the critical point beyond which the field collapses. Furthermore, we establish the condition under which the splitting of the initial multi-charge STOV phase singularity is entirely suppressed throughout propagation. STOVs carry intrinsic transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM), providing a new, orthogonal dimension for photonic encoding beyond the conventional longitudinal OAM of spatial optical vortices. Integrating STOVs with EIT merges this robust quantum resource with a platform for coherent dispersion engineering, enabling high-dimensional quantum information processing in a vastly expanded state space that combines both longitudinal and transverse OAM.

Optics Express•May 8, 2026•1 citation

Mode entanglement and optical arithmetic with spatiotemporal structured light carrying transverse OAM

Hui Min Leung, Hsiao-Chih Huang, Kefu Mu +1 more

The increasing demand for higher-capacity, high-performance optical networks and computing has fueled the exploration of new photonic degrees of freedom for information encoding. Our work addresses this need by investigating the feasibility of utilizing transverse orbital angular momentum (t-OAM) of light, a more recently identified degree of freedom than its longitudinal counterpart, as a viable candidate for these potential applications. We present results demonstrating the feasibility of leveraging t-OAM as a new family of modes for implementing classical entanglement, which provided the basis for generating a novel t-OAM and circular polarization mode-entangled beam. Additionally, we developed and demonstrated a proof-of-concept optical information-processing pipeline based on spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) carrying t-OAM. Using this system, we demonstrated arithmetic capabilities, including the addition and subtraction of spatiotemporal topological charge values, which can be either integer or fractional. These new capabilities open pathways toward harnessing t-OAM of light as a new degree of freedom to enhance optical computation and communication.

Complex Light and Optical Forces•Mar 5, 2026•0 citations

Strong double space-time wave packets using optical parametric amplification

Zhaoyang Li, Yuxin Leng, Ruxin Li

Abstract The space-time (ST) wave packet, a new type light source with many new features, has already found applications in weak-field optics, however its generation method limits its energy and therefore its application in strong-field optics. We report that the type-I collinear optical parametric amplification (OPA) is a natural amplifier for ST wave packets, because in it, the ST spectrum (i.e., angle-dependent phase-matching spectrum) of the signal and idler has the same analytical expression as that of ST wave packets under the narrowband approximation. The high gain in a thin-crystal OPA allows for large energy amplification while ensuring unchanged ST correlation. Meanwhile, for the first time, a double ST wave packet containing two collinear-propagating ones of the amplified signal and the generated idler via the nondegenerate OPA is reported, which with short- and long-wavelengths (relative to the degenerate-wavelength) have superluminal and subluminal velocities, respectively. This study realizes energy amplification, wavelength conversion, and velocity switching of ST wave packets and will certainly expand the application in many fields.

Communications Physics•Nov 21, 2022•6 citations

Generation of Femtosecond Optical Vortices Entanglement

haijiang liu, Yanxiang Xie, Jiaming Li +4 more

ABSTRACT Femtosecond optical vortices feature helical phase fronts within their transverse modes and also display a fixed phase difference among the longitudinal modes. This multi‐dimensional manipulation of femtosecond laser pulses forms a fundamental basis for various applications. While multiple techniques exist for generating traditional femtosecond optical vortices, a notable void persists in the domain of continuous‐variable entanglement. This letter introduces the demonstration of femtosecond optical vortices entanglement accomplished through the synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator, which is designed with a nonplanar ring cavity to compensate for astigmatism without introducing additional dispersion. The generated light field exhibits both temporal multimode structures, manifested as supermodes in the femtosecond optical frequency comb, and spatial multimode structures carrying orbital angular momentum. Orbital angular momentum entanglement is clearly observed in the first three‐order supermodes. The femtosecond optical vortices entanglement, serving as a precursor of potential, holds the crucial key to unlocking enhanced capabilities in advanced information processing, securing quantum communication, and even paving the way for the realization of multi‐parameter quantum metrology.

Laser & Photonics Review•Jan 24, 2026•0 citations

Quasi-static Optical Parametric Amplification

Marc Jankowski, Nayara Jornod, Carsten Langrock +4 more

High-gain optical parametric amplification is an important nonlinear process used both as a source of coherent infrared light and as a source of nonclassical light. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate an approach to optical parametric amplification that enables extremely large parametric gains with low energy requirements. In conventional nonlinear media driven by femtosecond pulses, multiple dispersion orders limit the effective interaction length available for parametric amplification. Here, we use the dispersion engineering available in periodically poled thin-film lithium niobate nanowaveguides to eliminate several dispersion orders at once. The result is a quasi-static process; the large peak intensity associated with a short pump pulse can provide gain to signal photons without undergoing pulse distortion or temporal walk-off. We characterize the parametric gain available in these waveguides using optical parametric generation, where vacuum fluctuations are amplified to macroscopic intensities. In the unsaturated regime, we observe parametric gains as large as 71 dB (118 dB/cm) spanning 1700–2700 nm with pump energies of only 4 pJ. When driven with pulse energies > 10 p J , we observe saturated parametric gains as large as 88 dB ( > 146 d B / c m ). The devices shown here achieve saturated optical parametric generation with orders of magnitude less pulse energy than previous techniques.

arXiv:2104.07928•Nonlinear Optics•Jan 1, 2021•66 citations

Generalized Orbital Angular Momentum Symmetry in Parametric Amplification

Rafael B. Rodrigues, G. B. Alves, Rafael F. Barros +2 more

We investigate interesting symmetry properties verified by the down-converted beams produced in optical parametric amplification with structured light. We show the Poincaré sphere symmetry observed in the spatial modes of signal and idler fields.

Latin America Optics and Photonics Conference•Jan 1, 2022•0 citations
Spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) are structured light featuring a phase singularity in the spatiotemporal domain, exhibiting unique topology that couples spatial and temporal dimensions. To date, amplification of STOVs remains unexplored, and their wavelength tunability is limited by available light sources. In this work, we present the theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration of optical parametric amplification (OPA) of STOVs. The pulse energy of the STOV signal is enhanced by a factor of 60, while its spatiotemporal structure is robustly preserved. The generated idler inherits the phase-conjugated STOV topology with the opposite topological charge, governed by simultaneous conservation of energy, linear momentum, and spatiotemporal orbital angular momentum. The intrinsic wavelength-conversion capability of OPA further provides a route towards spectrally tunable STOV generation, spanning from visible to near-infrared wavelength regimes. This work paves the way toward further development of multi-stage amplification architectures, facilitating applications of wavelength-tunable spatiotemporally structured light at ultrahigh intensities.
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a fundamental effect in quantum optics, providing a versatile platform for quantum technologies. A growing frontier is the integration of EIT with structured light, particularly vortex beams. Extending this to the spatiotemporal domain, we herein study the propagation and evolution of spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) beams in an EIT medium. We derive an analytical solution for the evolved STOV field and its stability criterion, and analyze the propagation dynamics with a primary focus on the evolution of the phase singularity. Following the splitting of the initial multi-charge STOV phase singularity upon propagation, the dynamics of the resultant first-order phase singularities are governed by the interplay of first-order loss dispersion (FLD), second-order loss dispersion (SLD), and group velocity dispersion (GVD) of the EIT medium. FLD dictates their overall directional shift, while SLD governs their mutual separation. Under normal GVD, the phase singularities evolve into parallel π -phase step lines and subsequently undergo a topological charge reversal; under zero GVD, only π -phase step lines are formed without topological charge reversal; both transitions are absent under anomalous GVD. These transitions occur in the far zone when the STOV’s center frequency lies within the EIT window, whereas around the absorption peak, they occur at a distance just prior to the critical point beyond which the field collapses. Furthermore, we establish the condition under which the splitting of the initial multi-charge STOV phase singularity is entirely suppressed throughout propagation. STOVs carry intrinsic transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM), providing a new, orthogonal dimension for photonic encoding beyond the conventional longitudinal OAM of spatial optical vortices. Integrating STOVs with EIT merges this robust quantum resource with a platform for coherent dispersion engineering, enabling high-dimensional quantum information processing in a vastly expanded state space that combines both longitudinal and transverse OAM.
The increasing demand for higher-capacity, high-performance optical networks and computing has fueled the exploration of new photonic degrees of freedom for information encoding. Our work addresses this need by investigating the feasibility of utilizing transverse orbital angular momentum (t-OAM) of light, a more recently identified degree of freedom than its longitudinal counterpart, as a viable candidate for these potential applications. We present results demonstrating the feasibility of leveraging t-OAM as a new family of modes for implementing classical entanglement, which provided the basis for generating a novel t-OAM and circular polarization mode-entangled beam. Additionally, we developed and demonstrated a proof-of-concept optical information-processing pipeline based on spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) carrying t-OAM. Using this system, we demonstrated arithmetic capabilities, including the addition and subtraction of spatiotemporal topological charge values, which can be either integer or fractional. These new capabilities open pathways toward harnessing t-OAM of light as a new degree of freedom to enhance optical computation and communication.
Abstract The space-time (ST) wave packet, a new type light source with many new features, has already found applications in weak-field optics, however its generation method limits its energy and therefore its application in strong-field optics. We report that the type-I collinear optical parametric amplification (OPA) is a natural amplifier for ST wave packets, because in it, the ST spectrum (i.e., angle-dependent phase-matching spectrum) of the signal and idler has the same analytical expression as that of ST wave packets under the narrowband approximation. The high gain in a thin-crystal OPA allows for large energy amplification while ensuring unchanged ST correlation. Meanwhile, for the first time, a double ST wave packet containing two collinear-propagating ones of the amplified signal and the generated idler via the nondegenerate OPA is reported, which with short- and long-wavelengths (relative to the degenerate-wavelength) have superluminal and subluminal velocities, respectively. This study realizes energy amplification, wavelength conversion, and velocity switching of ST wave packets and will certainly expand the application in many fields.
ABSTRACT Femtosecond optical vortices feature helical phase fronts within their transverse modes and also display a fixed phase difference among the longitudinal modes. This multi‐dimensional manipulation of femtosecond laser pulses forms a fundamental basis for various applications. While multiple techniques exist for generating traditional femtosecond optical vortices, a notable void persists in the domain of continuous‐variable entanglement. This letter introduces the demonstration of femtosecond optical vortices entanglement accomplished through the synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator, which is designed with a nonplanar ring cavity to compensate for astigmatism without introducing additional dispersion. The generated light field exhibits both temporal multimode structures, manifested as supermodes in the femtosecond optical frequency comb, and spatial multimode structures carrying orbital angular momentum. Orbital angular momentum entanglement is clearly observed in the first three‐order supermodes. The femtosecond optical vortices entanglement, serving as a precursor of potential, holds the crucial key to unlocking enhanced capabilities in advanced information processing, securing quantum communication, and even paving the way for the realization of multi‐parameter quantum metrology.
High-gain optical parametric amplification is an important nonlinear process used both as a source of coherent infrared light and as a source of nonclassical light. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate an approach to optical parametric amplification that enables extremely large parametric gains with low energy requirements. In conventional nonlinear media driven by femtosecond pulses, multiple dispersion orders limit the effective interaction length available for parametric amplification. Here, we use the dispersion engineering available in periodically poled thin-film lithium niobate nanowaveguides to eliminate several dispersion orders at once. The result is a quasi-static process; the large peak intensity associated with a short pump pulse can provide gain to signal photons without undergoing pulse distortion or temporal walk-off. We characterize the parametric gain available in these waveguides using optical parametric generation, where vacuum fluctuations are amplified to macroscopic intensities. In the unsaturated regime, we observe parametric gains as large as 71 dB (118 dB/cm) spanning 1700–2700 nm with pump energies of only 4 pJ. When driven with pulse energies > 10 p J , we observe saturated parametric gains as large as 88 dB ( > 146 d B / c m ). The devices shown here achieve saturated optical parametric generation with orders of magnitude less pulse energy than previous techniques.