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

AIP conference proceedings

A silicon nano-wire factorable photon pair source

Wolfram P. H. Pernice, Mo Li, Hong X. Tang, Dmitry N. Chigrin

Published Jan 1, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a scheme for generating pairs of de‐correlated photons in silicon nanowire waveguides. By properly engineering the geometrical dispersion of nanoscale waveguides we achieve both four‐wave‐mixing and group velocity matching. Factorable pure photon states are found that do not require spectral filtering. Highly anti‐correlated two‐photon states can be realized far from the Raman background of the waveguide. Our results hold promise for the realization of an integrated single photon source.

DOI
10.1063/1.3644246

Related papers

Spectrally-Pure Integrated Telecom-Band Photon Sources in Silicon

Shivani Sharma, Vivek Venkataraman, Joyee Ghosh

We demonstrate theoretically the direct (filter-free) generation of spectrally uncorrelated photon pairs, and consequently high-purity heralded single photons at telecommunication wavelengths, in SOI (silicon-on-insulator) nanowaveguides via spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM). The inherent strong waveguide dispersion in such high-index contrast structures is employed for discrete-band phase-matching in order to suppress the pair spectral correlations, and to produce photons in the fundamental spatial mode for easy in-out coupling to single-mode optical fibers. Additionally, by optimizing the source parameters like waveguide length, dispersion and pump bandwidth, the group-velocity of generated photons is also engineered to further eliminate spectral correlations. Extensive numerical mode simulations for various waveguide widths are used to design intrinsically pure photon sources via joint spectral amplitude (JSA) engineering. Purity$>$95% is shown to be achievable in a silica-clad SOI waveguide with a cross-section 220 × 600 nm$^{2}$for typical values of length and pump bandwidth. The wavelength of these heralded single photons can be tuned in the range of 1266–1363 nm ($\sim$O-band) by varying the pump wavelength. Considering the high accuracy provided by silicon nanofabrication techniques, the feasibility of generating single photons across the wavelength range 1333–1425 nm (E-band) and 1437–1510 nm (S-band) for slightly different waveguide widths (625 nm & 650 nm) is also demonstrated. These filter-free integrated photon sources could be important for large-scale linear optical quantum computation (LOQC) and long-distance fiber-optic quantum key distribution (QKD) networks.

Journal of Lightwave Technology•Jul 5, 2022•12 citations

Theoretical Analysis of Spectral Correlations Between Photon Pairs Generated in Nanoscale Silicon Waveguides*

Liangliang Lu, Ping Xu, Jianning Xu +2 more

Abstract Spontaneous four wave mixing in nonlinear waveguide is one of the excellent technique for generating photon pairs in well-defined guided modes. Here we present a comprehensive study of the frequency characteristic of correlated photon pairs generated in telecom C-band from a dispersion-engineered silicon wire waveguide. We have demonstrated that the waveguide configuration, shape of pump pulse, two-photon absorption as well as linear losses have significant influences on the biphoton spectral characteristics and the amount of frequency entanglement generated. The superior performance as well as the structural compactness and CMOS compatibility makes the silicon wire waveguide an ideal integrated platform for the implementation of on-chip quantum technologies.

Communications in Theoretical Physics•Dec 1, 2015•1 citation

Entanglement Generation Using Silicon Photonic Wire Waveguide

Hiroki Takesue, K. Harada, Hiroshi Fukuda +5 more

This paper reviews recent progress on telecom-band entangled photon-pair sources based on spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in a silicon photonic wire waveguide. Thanks to the large third order nonlinearity of nano-scale silicon waveguides, we can generate photon pairs efficiently. Moreover, the use of silicon waveguides enable us to avoid the noise photons caused by spontaneous Raman scattering, which has been a serious problem with entanglement sources based on SFWM in dispersion shifted fiber. We successfully demonstrated high-purity time-bin and polarization entanglement generation using 1-cm long silicon waveguides.

Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology•Mar 1, 2010•1 citation

Generation of Entangled Photon Pairs from High-Quality-Factor Silicon Microring Resonator at Near-Zero Anomalous Dispersion

Muneeb Farooq, Francisco M. Soares, Francisco Diaz

The intrinsic third-order nonlinearity in silicon has proven it to be quite useful in the field of quantum optics. Silicon is suitable for producing time-correlated photon pairs that are sources of heralded single-photon states for quantum integrated circuits. A quantum signal source in the form of single photons is an inherent requirement for the principles of quantum key distribution technology for secure communications. Here, we present numerical simulations of a silicon ring with a 6 μ m radius side-coupled with a bus waveguide as the source for the generation of single photons. The photon pairs are generated by exploring the process of degenerate spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM). The free spectral range (FSR) of the ring is quite large, simplifying the extraction of the signal/idler pairs. The phase-matching condition is considered by studying relevant parameters like the dispersion and nonlinearity. We optimize the ring for a high quality factor by varying the gap between the bus and the ring waveguide. This is the smallest ring studied for photon pair generation with a quality factor in the order of 10 5 . The width of the waveguides is chosen such that the phase-matching condition is satisfied, allowing for the propagation of fundamental modes only. The bus waveguide is pumped at one of the ring resonances with the minimum dispersion (1543.5 nm in our case) to satisfy the principle of energy conservation. The photon pair generation rate achieved is comparable to the state of the art. The photon pair sources exploiting nonlinear frequency conversion/generation processes is a promising alternative to atom-like single-photon emitters in the field of integrated photonics. Such miniaturized structures will benefit future on-chip architectures where multiple single-photon source devices are required on the same chip.

•Nov 21, 2024•0 citations

Silicon waveguides for creating quantum-correlated photon pairs

Qinglong Lin, Govind Prasad Agrawal

We propose to use four-wave mixing inside silicon waveguides for generating quantum-correlated photon pairs in a single spatial mode. Such silicon-based photon sources not only exhibit high pair correlation but also have high spectral brightness. As the proposed scheme is based on mature silicon technology, it has the potential of becoming a cost-effective platform for on-chip quantum information processing applications.

Optics Letters•Oct 11, 2006•96 citations

Generation of high-purity entangled photon pairs using silicon wire waveguide

K. Harada, Hiroki Takesue, Hiroshi Fukuda +5 more

We observed high-purity correlated and entangled photon pairs generated through spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in a silicon wire waveguide (SWW). Employing a nano-scale silicon waveguide with a low loss mode size converter, we obtained a high coincidence to accidental coincidence ratio (CAR) of around 200 that was larger than that of cooled dispersion shifted fiber (DSF) by a factor 3.2, and observed the two-photon interference fringe of time-bin entangled photons with > 95% visibility without subtracting the accidental coincidences.

Optics Express•Nov 24, 2008•123 citations
We propose a scheme for generating pairs of de‐correlated photons in silicon nanowire waveguides. By properly engineering the geometrical dispersion of nanoscale waveguides we achieve both four‐wave‐mixing and group velocity matching. Factorable pure photon states are found that do not require spectral filtering. Highly anti‐correlated two‐photon states can be realized far from the Raman background of the waveguide. Our results hold promise for the realization of an integrated single photon source.
We demonstrate theoretically the direct (filter-free) generation of spectrally uncorrelated photon pairs, and consequently high-purity heralded single photons at telecommunication wavelengths, in SOI (silicon-on-insulator) nanowaveguides via spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM). The inherent strong waveguide dispersion in such high-index contrast structures is employed for discrete-band phase-matching in order to suppress the pair spectral correlations, and to produce photons in the fundamental spatial mode for easy in-out coupling to single-mode optical fibers. Additionally, by optimizing the source parameters like waveguide length, dispersion and pump bandwidth, the group-velocity of generated photons is also engineered to further eliminate spectral correlations. Extensive numerical mode simulations for various waveguide widths are used to design intrinsically pure photon sources via joint spectral amplitude (JSA) engineering. Purity$>9595% is shown to be achievable in a silica-clad SOI waveguide with a cross-section 220 × 600 nm95^{2}fortypicalvaluesoflengthandpumpbandwidth.Thewavelengthoftheseheraldedsinglephotonscanbetunedintherangeof1266–1363nm(for typical values of length and pump bandwidth. The wavelength of these heralded single photons can be tuned in the range of 1266–1363 nm (fortypicalvaluesoflengthandpumpbandwidth.Thewavelengthoftheseheraldedsinglephotonscanbetunedintherangeof1266–1363nm(\sim$O-band) by varying the pump wavelength. Considering the high accuracy provided by silicon nanofabrication techniques, the feasibility of generating single photons across the wavelength range 1333–1425 nm (E-band) and 1437–1510 nm (S-band) for slightly different waveguide widths (625 nm & 650 nm) is also demonstrated. These filter-free integrated photon sources could be important for large-scale linear optical quantum computation (LOQC) and long-distance fiber-optic quantum key distribution (QKD) networks.
Abstract Spontaneous four wave mixing in nonlinear waveguide is one of the excellent technique for generating photon pairs in well-defined guided modes. Here we present a comprehensive study of the frequency characteristic of correlated photon pairs generated in telecom C-band from a dispersion-engineered silicon wire waveguide. We have demonstrated that the waveguide configuration, shape of pump pulse, two-photon absorption as well as linear losses have significant influences on the biphoton spectral characteristics and the amount of frequency entanglement generated. The superior performance as well as the structural compactness and CMOS compatibility makes the silicon wire waveguide an ideal integrated platform for the implementation of on-chip quantum technologies.
This paper reviews recent progress on telecom-band entangled photon-pair sources based on spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in a silicon photonic wire waveguide. Thanks to the large third order nonlinearity of nano-scale silicon waveguides, we can generate photon pairs efficiently. Moreover, the use of silicon waveguides enable us to avoid the noise photons caused by spontaneous Raman scattering, which has been a serious problem with entanglement sources based on SFWM in dispersion shifted fiber. We successfully demonstrated high-purity time-bin and polarization entanglement generation using 1-cm long silicon waveguides.
The intrinsic third-order nonlinearity in silicon has proven it to be quite useful in the field of quantum optics. Silicon is suitable for producing time-correlated photon pairs that are sources of heralded single-photon states for quantum integrated circuits. A quantum signal source in the form of single photons is an inherent requirement for the principles of quantum key distribution technology for secure communications. Here, we present numerical simulations of a silicon ring with a 6 μ m radius side-coupled with a bus waveguide as the source for the generation of single photons. The photon pairs are generated by exploring the process of degenerate spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM). The free spectral range (FSR) of the ring is quite large, simplifying the extraction of the signal/idler pairs. The phase-matching condition is considered by studying relevant parameters like the dispersion and nonlinearity. We optimize the ring for a high quality factor by varying the gap between the bus and the ring waveguide. This is the smallest ring studied for photon pair generation with a quality factor in the order of 10 5 . The width of the waveguides is chosen such that the phase-matching condition is satisfied, allowing for the propagation of fundamental modes only. The bus waveguide is pumped at one of the ring resonances with the minimum dispersion (1543.5 nm in our case) to satisfy the principle of energy conservation. The photon pair generation rate achieved is comparable to the state of the art. The photon pair sources exploiting nonlinear frequency conversion/generation processes is a promising alternative to atom-like single-photon emitters in the field of integrated photonics. Such miniaturized structures will benefit future on-chip architectures where multiple single-photon source devices are required on the same chip.
We observed high-purity correlated and entangled photon pairs generated through spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in a silicon wire waveguide (SWW). Employing a nano-scale silicon waveguide with a low loss mode size converter, we obtained a high coincidence to accidental coincidence ratio (CAR) of around 200 that was larger than that of cooled dispersion shifted fiber (DSF) by a factor 3.2, and observed the two-photon interference fringe of time-bin entangled photons with > 95% visibility without subtracting the accidental coincidences.