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AIP conference proceedings

Quantum state engineering of pulsed light in non-linear waveguides

Christine Silberhorn, A. Eckstein, Andreas Christ, Timothy C. Ralph, Ping Koy Lam

Published Jan 1, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The standard approach for introducing the quantization of optical light is based on monochromatic light fields, however this description is not sufficient for the definition of quantum light pulses. Their finite time duration necessarily requires that polychromatic wave packets with a broad spectral distribution are considered. Pulsed multi‐photon states of light typically carry an implicit spectral broadband mode structure, which is imprinted by the spectral correlations originating from the generation process. Recent developments have enabled us to control the spectral properties of such multi‐mode pulsed states, which opens a new route for quantum information applications.We have implenented a pulsed parametric downconversion source in a waveguide, which can be tuned from genuine single mode to multi‐mode characteristics by modifiying the bandwidth of the ultrafast pump pulses. Our generated signal and idler beams of the PDC output twin beams lie in the telecommunication regime, and the source features an exceptional brightness with 2.5 photons per pulse utilizing a single pass configuration. We verify the broadband single mode versus multi‐mode structure by analysing the marginal g(2) ‐Glauber correlation function of the signal and idler beams while modifing the their spectral inter correlations.

DOI
10.1063/1.3630203

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The standard approach for introducing the quantization of optical light is based on monochromatic light fields, however this description is not sufficient for the definition of quantum light pulses. Their finite time duration necessarily requires that polychromatic wave packets with a broad spectral distribution are considered. Pulsed multi‐photon states of light typically carry an implicit spectral broadband mode structure, which is imprinted by the spectral correlations originating from the generation process. Recent developments have enabled us to control the spectral properties of such multi‐mode pulsed states, which opens a new route for quantum information applications.We have implenented a pulsed parametric downconversion source in a waveguide, which can be tuned from genuine single mode to multi‐mode characteristics by modifiying the bandwidth of the ultrafast pump pulses. Our generated signal and idler beams of the PDC output twin beams lie in the telecommunication regime, and the source features an exceptional brightness with 2.5 photons per pulse utilizing a single pass configuration. We verify the broadband single mode versus multi‐mode structure by analysing the marginal g(2) ‐Glauber correlation function of the signal and idler beams while modifing the their spectral inter correlations.
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.
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 near unit efficiency.
Ultrafast quantum light pulses with durations of 1ps and below show great promise as information carriers in quantum communication and computation. In future they may also be used to probe physical processes at ultrashort timescales with a resolution beyond the limits of Heisenberg uncertainty. This thesis focuses on the creation and manipulation of quantum light pulses with second order nonlinear optical processes in optical waveguides. In chapter 1. Introduction, we lead the reader towards this work's topic by giving a brief qualitative overview over the EPR paradox, quantum entanglement, three-wave-mixing and quantum light pulses. Chapter 2. Basic concepts familiarizes the reader with the physical concepts and mathematical tools underlying this thesis. In chapter 3. Spectral engineering, we discuss the requirements to produce separable photon pair states with group velocity matching and examine several nonlinear materials widely used for optical waveguide inscription for their suitability to group velocity matching in the telecom wavelength regime. In chapter 4. A PP-KTP waveguide as parametric downconversion source, we give the basic spontaneous parametric downconversion source setup, as well as some initial measurements to characterize the single photon detectors, to demonstrate the production of correlated photons, and to determine the phasematching properties of the PP-KTP source. In the following chapter, 5. Fiber spectrometer, we present the single-photon fiber spectrometer. We discuss the experimental setup and calibration of the device, and measure the joint spectrum of photon pairs from our PP-KTP source. Finally, we investigate the behavior of a joint spectrum measurement of a high mean photon number source with binary detectors. In 6. Two-mode squeezed vacuum source, we characterize spectral correlations of an ultrafast SPDC source with the second order correlation function g². We present the g² measurement results and show that we can control the spectral correlations to produce a two-mode squeezed vacuum state of light. We then determine the mean photon number and gain of the source. 7. Quantum pulse gate: While the previous chapters focus on the creation and characterization of ultrafast quantum pulses of light, we now propose a way to manipulate the mode structure of a given quantum light state. We discuss the concept of an active optical filter sensitive to spectral/temporal pulse shape: The quantum pulse gate. In the final chapter 8. Conclusion and outlook, we recapitulate the main results of this thesis and provide a few pointers towards possibilities for future research building on it.
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.
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