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Journal of Applied Physics

Nonlinear AlGaAs waveguide for the generation of counterpropagating twin photons in the telecom range

M. Ravaro, Yannick Seurin, S. Ducci, Giuseppe Leo, V. Berger, Alfredo De Rossi, Gaetano Assanto

Published Sep 15, 2005• 29 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have designed and fabricated a set of AlGaAs multilayer waveguides, which can serve as a source of entangled photons at 1.55μm through parametric fluorescence. In our scheme two counterpropagating, orthogonally polarized signal/idler modes are nonlinearly generated by a pump wave impinging on the upper surface of the waveguide. To check the compliance with design specifications on phase-matching wavelength and parametric gain, we have systematically measured effective indices and surface-emitting second-harmonic generation, respectively. This characterization allowed us to single out a nominal sample with optimum performances, which we numerically modeled for counterpropagating parametric fluorescence. We predict a pair generation efficiency ηPF=4×10−13 (signal photons per pump photon). For a 1W (peak), 100ns pump pulse at normal incidence, this corresponds to about 14 photons per dark count with state-of-the-art avalanche photodiodes.

DOI
10.1063/1.2058197

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We have designed and fabricated a set of AlGaAs multilayer waveguides, which can serve as a source of entangled photons at 1.55μm through parametric fluorescence. In our scheme two counterpropagating, orthogonally polarized signal/idler modes are nonlinearly generated by a pump wave impinging on the upper surface of the waveguide. To check the compliance with design specifications on phase-matching wavelength and parametric gain, we have systematically measured effective indices and surface-emitting second-harmonic generation, respectively. This characterization allowed us to single out a nominal sample with optimum performances, which we numerically modeled for counterpropagating parametric fluorescence. We predict a pair generation efficiency ηPF=4×10−13 (signal photons per pump photon). For a 1W (peak), 100ns pump pulse at normal incidence, this corresponds to about 14 photons per dark count with state-of-the-art avalanche photodiodes.
We experimentally demonstrate a counterpropagating twin photons source consisting of an AlGaAs multilayer waveguide. In our geometry, a pump beam impinging on top of a waveguide generates parametrically two counter propagating, orthogonally polarized signal/idler guided modes through a type II nonlinear interaction. Two phase-matched processes occur simultaneously in our scheme: in the first one, the photon copropagating with the z component of the pump beam is TM polarized and the counter propagating one is TE polarized. In the second one, the vice versa occurs. The most attractive application of this device is a narrow-bandwidth fibered source of entangled photon pairs, where signal and idler photons are collected at the opposite waveguide facets with low coupling losses.
We experimentally demonstrate an integrated semiconductor source of counterpropagating twin photons in the telecom range. A pump beam impinging on top of an AlGaAs waveguide generates parametrically two counterpropagating, orthogonally polarized signal/idler guided modes. A 2 mm long waveguide emits at room temperature one average photon pair per pump pulse, with a spectral linewidth of 0.15 nm. The twin character of the emitted photons is ascertained through a time-correlation measurement. This work opens a route towards new guided-wave semiconductor quantum devices.
We report on an integrated source of twin photons at telecom wavelength operating at room temperature, in which a pump beam impinging on top of an AlGaAs waveguide generates two counterpropagating, orthogonally polarized guided modes by parametric fluorescence. This scheme allows an unprecedented flexibility in controlling the quantum properties of the emitted photons, by a simple shaping of the spatial and spectral profiles of the pump. The source versatility permits us to tailor the degree of frequency correlation and the spectrum of the emitted photons.
We explore the potential of versatile and efficient entangled photon pair generation by spontaneous parametric downconversion in Bragg reflection waveguides. By employing a quantum treatment of modes in channel waveguides, and by accounting for group velocity dispersion in the modes, the quantum state of the generated biphotons is realistically calculated. The pair production rate is predicted to reach 4×108 pairs/s/nm/mW of pump light in a 2 mm-long structure, on par with or exceeding the performance of previously reported designs. This is attributable to an enhanced nonlinear interaction through tight mode confinement in the waveguide. Strategies for device performance optimization and phase matching wavelength tunability are outlined and numerically demonstrated. The proposed design platform is versatile and allows photon pair generation with controllable flux, bandwidth, Schmidt number, and degree of polarization entanglement. The possibility of monolithic integration with a diode laser pump offers a way to design an electrically pumped entangled photon source.
In recent years, great efforts have been devoted to the miniaturization of quantum information technology on semiconductor chips. In the context of photon pair sources, the bi-exciton cascade of a quantum dot and the four wave mixing in a Silicon waveguide have been used to demonstrate the generation of entangled states. Spontaneous parametric down-conversion in III-V semiconductor waveguides combines the advantages of room temperature and telecom wavelength operation, while keeping open the possibility of electrically pumping of the device. Here we present a source consisting of a multilayer AlGaAs waveguide grown on a GaAs substrate and then chemically etched to achieve lateral confinement in a ridge. The structure design is such that a pump beam (around 759 nm), impinging on the waveguide surface with an incidence angle θ generates two counterpropagating orthogonally polarized beams (around 1518 nm). The waveguide core is surrounded by distributed Bragg reectors to enhance the pump field within the device. We demonstrate the direct emission of polarization entangled photons by pumping the device at two symmetric angles of incidence corresponding to frequency degeneracy and performing a quantum tomography measurement. Most common entanglement witnesses are satisfied and a raw fidelity of F = 0:86 to a Bell state is obtained. These results open the route to the demonstration of other interesting features of our device such as the generation of hyper-entangled states via the control of the frequency correlation degree through the spatial and spectral pump beam profile, leading to a new generation of completely integrated devices for quantum information.