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

Journal of Modern Optics

Wave packet engineering using a phase-programmable femtosecond optical source

Kazuhiko Misawa, Isao Matsuda, Naoyuki T. Hashimoto, Roy Lang

Published Jan 1, 2004• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A new optical telecommunication method combining time and frequency domain multiplexing is proposed using phase-controlled femtosecond pulses. Each pulse in a pulse train can be used as a data packet with data bits in the frequency domain. We call the new principle ‘wave packet engineering’, which adjusts the amplitude and phase of the wave function in device materials arbitrarily by controlling the spectral phase of femtosecond pulses. The optical phase-to-amplitude converter is demonstrated with organic dye molecules, in which the phase information in the phase-modulated pulses can be demodulated into the luminescence intensity. The luminescence intensity from cyanine dye molecules is observed to be chirp dependent, and is explained quantum mechanically in terms of coherent population transfer. The design principle of the device using semiconductor coupled quantum nanostructures is also discussed in terms of wave packet engineering.

DOI
10.1080/09500340408231827

Related papers

Femtosecond wave packet engineering in a cyanine dye molecule

Kazuhiko Misawa, Isao Matsuda, Roy Lang

Quantum wave packet engineering is demonstrated using a phase-programmable femtosecond optical source. This paper describes development of a programmable phase modulator and coherent control of quantum wave packets. Wave packet motion in a cyanine dye molecule is observed to be dependent on the chirp direction and rate of excitation pulses. Strong reduction in excited state population is efficient for negatively chirped pulses in the cyanine dye molecule, which is explained in terms of a pump-dump process. We discuss a possibility of mutual conversion between the optical and electronic phase information by means of nonlinear light-matter interaction.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Dec 1, 2002•2 citations

Single molecular phase-to-amplitude converter using femtosecond wave packet engineering

Kazuhiko Misawa, Isao Matsuda, Naoyuki T. Hashimoto +1 more

We show a single molecular phase-to-amplitude converter, which converts the optical phase information of femtosecond pulses into spontaneous emission amplitude in a cyanine dye molecule through the coherent excitation of the quantum wave packet.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2004•0 citations

Quantum pulse shaping by direct temporal phase modulation

Laura Jayne Wright

Creating and controlling well-defined single-photon states is important for many quantum enhanced technologies. Information can be encoded in any degree of freedom associated with a single-photon field excitation, for example in the polarization or transverse spatial mode structure. The ability to encode multiple qubits in these states is desirable for high data transmission rates and increased information processing capacity. The spectral-temporal domain offers a large Hilbert space for encoding information, well suited to integrated optical architectures owing to the low cross-talk between channels. Indeed, time-frequency encoding is an integral component of existing information technologies infrastructure. Thus, complete, coherent control of the spectral-temporal mode structure of light is essential to advancing optical quantum technologies. Arbitrary control of single-photon states has been demonstrated in the polarization and spatial-momentum degrees of freedom however, is yet to be established in the spectral-temporal domain. Recently it was shown that spectral-temporal pulse shaping is experimentally feasible using nonlinear optical methods. However, such techniques can introduce noise photons, are challenging to implement deterministically and require specially prepared auxiliary pump pulses. Furthermore, they are typically only possible at relatively low repetition rates to avoid damage of nonlinear optical materials. Here, we demonstrate deterministic pulse shaping of single-photon wave packets by introducing a time-varying phase. Applying linear or quadratic phase to the wave packet introduces a spectral shift or spectral broadening, respectively. Achieving significant spectral manipulation requires temporal-phase modulation on the order of π. The phase must also vary on the same time scale as the optical pulses, approximately 1 ps in duration here. This relatively rapid phase variation is achieved using a fast electro-optic phase modulator. The modulator is driven by a time-varying voltage that is synchronized with a pulse train of single-photon wave packets for accurate temporal phase control. In this thesis, we experimentally demonstrate control of the spectral-temporal state of single-photon wave packets using this method. Heralded single-photon wave packets are generated by spontaneous parametric down conversion pumped by a frequency-doubled Titanium-Sapphire laser oscillator with 80 MHz repetition rate. To achieve significant modulation of single-photon pulses a 10 V peak-to-peak radio-frequency signal of 40 GHz drives the phase modulator, which requires approximately 3.6 V to achieve a π phase shift. The signal is synchronized with the oscillator pulse train using custom designed electronics. Details of these electronics are presented, resulting in a robust phase and amplitude controllable 40 GHz voltage source, phase locked to the single-photon pulse train. To demonstrate the utility of this pulse-shaping method we experimentally show spectral shearing of almost 1 nm for single-photon wave packets with 830 nm central wavelength and 1 nm bandwidth. Measurement of the second-order intensity correlation before and after the wave-packet manipulation remains constant within uncertainty of the measurement, showing that the quantum nature of the single-photon source is not deteriorated by the modulator. Preservation of the wave-packet coherence is verified by two-photon interference between spectrally sheared and non-modulated single-photons.

•Jan 1, 2015•1 citation

Coherent control of electronic and vibrational wave packets using phase-locked optical pulses

Elizabeth Durrell Boleat

Experimental and theoretical work is presented on the control of wave packet dynamics in atomic and molecular systems. Using sequences of phase-locked optical pulses, the link between optical phase and quantum mechanical phase is explored in the Na atom and Naj dimer, representing a step towards the logical engineering of quantum states in more complicated systems. A novel apparatus, constructed to study and control the vibrational dynamics of vibrational wave packets on the Na ionic potential surface, is described in chapter 3. Theoretical simulations for proposed experiment are presented in chapter 4. Control is achieved by exploiting the phase-evolution of the constituent vibrational quantum states within the wave packet superposition. The phase relationship and the accumulated phase difference between the various components of the wave packet is determined, and a sequence of phase-locked optical pulses is employed to selectively enhance or depopulate specific vibrational states, or sets of vibrational states. The quantum state composition of the resulting wave packet, and the efficiency of the control scheme, is determined by calculating the multi-pulse response of the time-dependent vibrational state populations. In chapter 5, the quantum interference between Rydberg electron wave packets in the Na atom is investigated using pairs of phase-locked wave packets, allowing manipulation of the total orbital angular momentum of Na Rydberg atoms. Initially the wave packet is composed of a superposition of s and d Rydberg series. Exploitation of the difference between the quantum defects of the two series allows specific angular momentum compositions within the resultant wave packet to be engineered. Experimentally, this final quantum state distribution is analysed in the frequency domain using state selective field ionisation, and in the time domain using the optical Ramsey method. The theoretical calculations show how the phase difference between pairs of optical pulses is linked to the corresponding Rydberg frequency spectrum, therefore enabling the control of the quantum state composition of the wave packets.

•Jan 1, 2005•0 citations

Coherent amplification without inversion of femtosecond optical pulses

John N. Sweetser, Thomas J. Dunn, Ian A. Walmsley

Recent progress has been made in the theoretical and experimental study of the amplification of optical signals without population inversion (AWI) of the participating electronic levels. Induced coherence among appropriate levels in the active medium is the necessary condition for obtaining AWI. Similarly, the generation of wave packet states in atoms and molecules also relies on the coherent superposition of several states. It is feasible, therefore, that AWI is possible in a system which has been excited into a wave packet state. We have thus demonstrated experimentally such amplification in an extended sample of sodium dimers and we term this process wave packet amplification (WPA). An important characteristic of WPA is that the gain is doubly phase-sensitive—it is modulated at both the wave packet oscillation period and the optical period. The former time-dependence is a result of the periodic revivals of the pump-induced electronic polarization and the latter optical phase-sensitivity is a manifestation of the coherent nature of the molecular wave packet. The experiments to be described use a time-resolved upconversion method to detect the change in energy of a 50 fs probe pulse after it passes through a sodium heat pipe that has been pumped with another 50 fs pulse. The maximum saturated energy gain in this system is four and corresponds to all of the available energy being transferred from the wave packet to the probe pulse.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of America•Jan 1, 1993•0 citations

Two-photon spectral modulation via temporal manipulation: Quantum optical synthesis of spectral modes from temporal square waves

Rui‐Bo Jin, Hiroki Oshima, Takumi Yagisawa +5 more

Precise manipulation of the time–frequency modes of entangled photons is crucial for future quantum science and technologies. Recently, the frequency-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (FD-QOS) method was demonstrated by creating a superposition of different joint temporal amplitudes: those temporal distributions can be controlled by manipulating the joint spectral amplitude in 2D frequency space via a Fourier optical relation. This FD-QOS method provides an efficient, flexible, and easy-to-control way to precisely modulate the temporal distributions of the entangled photon in an ultrafast region. However, manipulation of only the temporal modes is not sufficient for various applications in quantum information, since spectral modulations are also needed on many occasions. Here, we present a proof-of-concept experiment of two-photon spectral modulation via temporal manipulation of a biphoton wave packet. This protocol, called time-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (TD-QOS), is achieved by adjusting the relative phases between two joint temporal distributions. In addition, the two-photon joint spectral distributions are characterized by measuring the joint spectral intensities and Hong–Ou–Mandel interferences. The combination of FD-QOS and TD-QOS enables complete control over the biphoton states. Our work would further develop quantum technologies that rely on the time–frequency modes of entangled photons.

Applied Physics Letters•Dec 12, 2022•4 citations
A new optical telecommunication method combining time and frequency domain multiplexing is proposed using phase-controlled femtosecond pulses. Each pulse in a pulse train can be used as a data packet with data bits in the frequency domain. We call the new principle ‘wave packet engineering’, which adjusts the amplitude and phase of the wave function in device materials arbitrarily by controlling the spectral phase of femtosecond pulses. The optical phase-to-amplitude converter is demonstrated with organic dye molecules, in which the phase information in the phase-modulated pulses can be demodulated into the luminescence intensity. The luminescence intensity from cyanine dye molecules is observed to be chirp dependent, and is explained quantum mechanically in terms of coherent population transfer. The design principle of the device using semiconductor coupled quantum nanostructures is also discussed in terms of wave packet engineering.
Quantum wave packet engineering is demonstrated using a phase-programmable femtosecond optical source. This paper describes development of a programmable phase modulator and coherent control of quantum wave packets. Wave packet motion in a cyanine dye molecule is observed to be dependent on the chirp direction and rate of excitation pulses. Strong reduction in excited state population is efficient for negatively chirped pulses in the cyanine dye molecule, which is explained in terms of a pump-dump process. We discuss a possibility of mutual conversion between the optical and electronic phase information by means of nonlinear light-matter interaction.
Creating and controlling well-defined single-photon states is important for many quantum enhanced technologies. Information can be encoded in any degree of freedom associated with a single-photon field excitation, for example in the polarization or transverse spatial mode structure. The ability to encode multiple qubits in these states is desirable for high data transmission rates and increased information processing capacity. The spectral-temporal domain offers a large Hilbert space for encoding information, well suited to integrated optical architectures owing to the low cross-talk between channels. Indeed, time-frequency encoding is an integral component of existing information technologies infrastructure. Thus, complete, coherent control of the spectral-temporal mode structure of light is essential to advancing optical quantum technologies. Arbitrary control of single-photon states has been demonstrated in the polarization and spatial-momentum degrees of freedom however, is yet to be established in the spectral-temporal domain. Recently it was shown that spectral-temporal pulse shaping is experimentally feasible using nonlinear optical methods. However, such techniques can introduce noise photons, are challenging to implement deterministically and require specially prepared auxiliary pump pulses. Furthermore, they are typically only possible at relatively low repetition rates to avoid damage of nonlinear optical materials. Here, we demonstrate deterministic pulse shaping of single-photon wave packets by introducing a time-varying phase. Applying linear or quadratic phase to the wave packet introduces a spectral shift or spectral broadening, respectively. Achieving significant spectral manipulation requires temporal-phase modulation on the order of π. The phase must also vary on the same time scale as the optical pulses, approximately 1 ps in duration here. This relatively rapid phase variation is achieved using a fast electro-optic phase modulator. The modulator is driven by a time-varying voltage that is synchronized with a pulse train of single-photon wave packets for accurate temporal phase control. In this thesis, we experimentally demonstrate control of the spectral-temporal state of single-photon wave packets using this method. Heralded single-photon wave packets are generated by spontaneous parametric down conversion pumped by a frequency-doubled Titanium-Sapphire laser oscillator with 80 MHz repetition rate. To achieve significant modulation of single-photon pulses a 10 V peak-to-peak radio-frequency signal of 40 GHz drives the phase modulator, which requires approximately 3.6 V to achieve a π phase shift. The signal is synchronized with the oscillator pulse train using custom designed electronics. Details of these electronics are presented, resulting in a robust phase and amplitude controllable 40 GHz voltage source, phase locked to the single-photon pulse train. To demonstrate the utility of this pulse-shaping method we experimentally show spectral shearing of almost 1 nm for single-photon wave packets with 830 nm central wavelength and 1 nm bandwidth. Measurement of the second-order intensity correlation before and after the wave-packet manipulation remains constant within uncertainty of the measurement, showing that the quantum nature of the single-photon source is not deteriorated by the modulator. Preservation of the wave-packet coherence is verified by two-photon interference between spectrally sheared and non-modulated single-photons.
Experimental and theoretical work is presented on the control of wave packet dynamics in atomic and molecular systems. Using sequences of phase-locked optical pulses, the link between optical phase and quantum mechanical phase is explored in the Na atom and Naj dimer, representing a step towards the logical engineering of quantum states in more complicated systems. A novel apparatus, constructed to study and control the vibrational dynamics of vibrational wave packets on the Na ionic potential surface, is described in chapter 3. Theoretical simulations for proposed experiment are presented in chapter 4. Control is achieved by exploiting the phase-evolution of the constituent vibrational quantum states within the wave packet superposition. The phase relationship and the accumulated phase difference between the various components of the wave packet is determined, and a sequence of phase-locked optical pulses is employed to selectively enhance or depopulate specific vibrational states, or sets of vibrational states. The quantum state composition of the resulting wave packet, and the efficiency of the control scheme, is determined by calculating the multi-pulse response of the time-dependent vibrational state populations. In chapter 5, the quantum interference between Rydberg electron wave packets in the Na atom is investigated using pairs of phase-locked wave packets, allowing manipulation of the total orbital angular momentum of Na Rydberg atoms. Initially the wave packet is composed of a superposition of s and d Rydberg series. Exploitation of the difference between the quantum defects of the two series allows specific angular momentum compositions within the resultant wave packet to be engineered. Experimentally, this final quantum state distribution is analysed in the frequency domain using state selective field ionisation, and in the time domain using the optical Ramsey method. The theoretical calculations show how the phase difference between pairs of optical pulses is linked to the corresponding Rydberg frequency spectrum, therefore enabling the control of the quantum state composition of the wave packets.
Recent progress has been made in the theoretical and experimental study of the amplification of optical signals without population inversion (AWI) of the participating electronic levels. Induced coherence among appropriate levels in the active medium is the necessary condition for obtaining AWI. Similarly, the generation of wave packet states in atoms and molecules also relies on the coherent superposition of several states. It is feasible, therefore, that AWI is possible in a system which has been excited into a wave packet state. We have thus demonstrated experimentally such amplification in an extended sample of sodium dimers and we term this process wave packet amplification (WPA). An important characteristic of WPA is that the gain is doubly phase-sensitive—it is modulated at both the wave packet oscillation period and the optical period. The former time-dependence is a result of the periodic revivals of the pump-induced electronic polarization and the latter optical phase-sensitivity is a manifestation of the coherent nature of the molecular wave packet. The experiments to be described use a time-resolved upconversion method to detect the change in energy of a 50 fs probe pulse after it passes through a sodium heat pipe that has been pumped with another 50 fs pulse. The maximum saturated energy gain in this system is four and corresponds to all of the available energy being transferred from the wave packet to the probe pulse.
Precise manipulation of the time–frequency modes of entangled photons is crucial for future quantum science and technologies. Recently, the frequency-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (FD-QOS) method was demonstrated by creating a superposition of different joint temporal amplitudes: those temporal distributions can be controlled by manipulating the joint spectral amplitude in 2D frequency space via a Fourier optical relation. This FD-QOS method provides an efficient, flexible, and easy-to-control way to precisely modulate the temporal distributions of the entangled photon in an ultrafast region. However, manipulation of only the temporal modes is not sufficient for various applications in quantum information, since spectral modulations are also needed on many occasions. Here, we present a proof-of-concept experiment of two-photon spectral modulation via temporal manipulation of a biphoton wave packet. This protocol, called time-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (TD-QOS), is achieved by adjusting the relative phases between two joint temporal distributions. In addition, the two-photon joint spectral distributions are characterized by measuring the joint spectral intensities and Hong–Ou–Mandel interferences. The combination of FD-QOS and TD-QOS enables complete control over the biphoton states. Our work would further develop quantum technologies that rely on the time–frequency modes of entangled photons.