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Coherent Control ofTwo-Photon Phenomena with Broadband NonClassical Light

Asher A. Friesem

Published Jan 1, 2005• 0 citations

Abstract

i1 Abstract: We report twocontrol experiments that exploit thecoherent correlations within the spectrum ofincoherent broadband down-converted light todemonstrate ultrahigh spectral and temporal resolutions athigh power andinherent non-classical features atlowpower. c2005Optical Society ofAmerica OCIScodes: (270.6570)Squeezed states, (270.4180)Multiphoton processes, (320.5540) Pulse shaping. Eventhough broadband down-converted light that isgenerated byanarrowband pumpcanbeconsidered as incoherent white noise, itpossesses phase andamplitude correlations between thecorresponding signal-idler modes ES(co) = E,(co, -to). Asaresult, thesignal andtheidler fields arecomplex conjugated white noise fields (1). The signal-idler correlations areinherently non-classical since their precision exceeds theclassical limit (sub-shot noise). Inthefollowing wedescribe twocoherent control experiments that exploit this coherent phase relation: One experiment demonstrates control overtwo-photon absorption (TPA) with high-power broadband down-conversion, where thetemporal resolution ofultrashort pulses iscombined with anultrahigh spectral resolution that isotherwise unattainable (1). Another experiment demonstrates control oversum-frequency generation (SFG) intheinherently non-classical low-power regime ofentangled photons. Inthat regime SFGserves asanultrafast coincidence detector andspectral phase manipulations directly affect thetwo-photon wavefunction (2,3). 1.Coherent control oftwo-photon absorption athigh-power. Theexcitation ofanarrow twophoton transition (atfrequency coo) withbroadband light isinsensitive toananti- symmetric spectral phase around tco02 (4). Since thespectral phase ofdown-converted light isanti-symmetric around thepumpfrequency c/pl2, theexcitation isasefficient aswithatransform-limited

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•Jan 1, 2018•0 citations

i1 Abstract: We report twocontrol experiments that exploit thecoherent correlations within the spectrum ofincoherent broadband down-converted light todemonstrate ultrahigh spectral and temporal resolutions athigh power andinherent non-classical features atlowpower. c2005Optical Society ofAmerica OCIScodes: (270.6570)Squeezed states, (270.4180)Multiphoton processes, (320.5540) Pulse shaping. Eventhough broadband down-converted light that isgenerated byanarrowband pumpcanbeconsidered as incoherent white noise, itpossesses phase andamplitude correlations between thecorresponding signal-idler modes ES(co) = E,(co, -to). Asaresult, thesignal andtheidler fields arecomplex conjugated white noise fields (1). The signal-idler correlations areinherently non-classical since their precision exceeds theclassical limit (sub-shot noise). Inthefollowing wedescribe twocoherent control experiments that exploit this coherent phase relation: One experiment demonstrates control overtwo-photon absorption (TPA) with high-power broadband down-conversion, where thetemporal resolution ofultrashort pulses iscombined with anultrahigh spectral resolution that isotherwise unattainable (1). Another experiment demonstrates control oversum-frequency generation (SFG) intheinherently non-classical low-power regime ofentangled photons. Inthat regime SFGserves asanultrafast coincidence detector andspectral phase manipulations directly affect thetwo-photon wavefunction (2,3). 1.Coherent control oftwo-photon absorption athigh-power. Theexcitation ofanarrow twophoton transition (atfrequency coo) withbroadband light isinsensitive toananti- symmetric spectral phase around tco02 (4). Since thespectral phase ofdown-converted light isanti-symmetric around thepumpfrequency c/pl2, theexcitation isasefficient aswithatransform-limited

The coherence properties of broadband down converted light are investigated theoretically and experimentally in both the classical and quantum mechanical frameworks. Although broadband down converted light is one-photon incoherent noise, it possesses unique two-photon coherence. Thus, for performing two-photon processes, down-converted light is equivalent to coherent ultrashort pulses in some aspects and to coherent CW laser radiation in others. This equivalence is theoretically established and experimentally demonstrated in the classical, high-power regime. Two applications that take advantage of multi-photon coherence are then described in detail; one for optical spread spectrum communication and the other for sub-diffraction limit optical lithography. A key part of this research is the design and implementation of an efficient source that generates high-power broadband down conversion in a cavity. A broadband oscillation in the cavity is ensured by a mechanism very similar to passive mode-locking of ultrashort pulse laser sources, which we term as pair-wise mode locking, thus extending the equivalence to ultrashort pulses to the light generating sources also. Finally, the quantum mechanical properties of broadband down-conversion are explored experimentally, by performing a two-photon process (sum frequency generation) at the low power level of entangled photon pairs. The non-classical nature of the light is expressed by a linear intensity dependence of the non-linear process. Temporal shaping with femtosecond resolution of the entangled photon pairs is demonstrated using this non-linear interaction.

We experimentally demonstrate two-photon absorption with broadband down-converted light (squeezed vacuum). Although incoherent and exhibiting the statistics of a thermal noise, broadband down-converted light can induce two-photon absorption with the same sharp temporal behavior as femtosecond pulses, while exhibiting the high spectral resolution of the narrow band pump laser. Using pulse-shaping methods, we coherently control two-photon absorption in rubidium, demonstrating spectral and temporal resolutions that are 3-5 orders of magnitude below the actual bandwidth and temporal duration of the light itself. Such properties can be exploited in various applications such as spread-spectrum optical communications, tomography, and nonlinear microscopy.

We report the experimental demonstration of coherent control with high power, broadband squeezed vacuum. Although incoherent and exhibiting the statistics of a thermal noise, broadband squeezed vacuum is shown to induce certain two-photon interactions as a coherent ultrashort pulse with the same spectral bandwidth. Utilizing pulse-shaping techniques we coherently control the sum-frequency generation of broadband squeezed vacuum over a range of two orders of magnitude. Coherent control of two-photon interactions with broadband squeezed vacuum can potentially obtain spectral resolutions and extinction ratios that are practically unattainable with coherent pulses.

When two-photon interactions are induced by down-converted light with a bandwidth that exceeds the pump bandwidth, they can obtain a behavior that is pulselike temporally, yet spectrally narrow. At low photon fluxes this behavior reflects the time and energy entanglement between the down-converted photons. However, two-photon interactions such as two-photon absorption (TPA) and sum-frequency generation (SFG) can exhibit such a behavior even at high power levels, as long as the final state (i.e., the atomic level in TPA, or the generated light in SFG) is narrow-band enough. This behavior does not depend on the squeezing properties of the light, is insensitive to linear losses, and has potential applications. In this paper we describe analytically this behavior for traveling-wave down conversion with continuous or pulsed pumping, both for high- and low-power regimes. For this we derive a quantum-mechanical expression for the down-converted amplitude generated by an arbitrary pump, and formulate operators that represent various two-photon interactions induced by broadband light. This model is in excellent agreement with experimental results of TPA and SFG with high-power down-converted light and with entangled photons [Dayan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 023005 (2004); 94, 043602 (2005); Pe'er et al., ibid. 94, 073601 (2005)].

Time-frequency entangled photons ("biphotons") exhibit joint spectral and temporal correlations that are unattainable with classical light. Besides being deployed for tests of quantum nonlocality, these photonic states are desirable for a unique range of applications that can significantly impact communications and computation. In this dissertation, we describe novel schemes based on spectral and temporal domain processing for manipulating and characterizing broadband biphotons. Implementing frequency-dependent filters, first, we present and demonstrate a technique for controlling the relative delay between a pair of entangled photons, relying on pump frequency tuning and the quantum concept of nonlocal dispersion cancellation. Next, we demonstrate near-field frequency-to-time mapping, a technique adopted from classical photonics, for arbitrary control of biphoton temporal correlations. Subsequently, we generate temporal correlation trains by creating biphoton frequency combs through programmable spectral amplitude shaping and demonstrate the temporal Talbot effect with entangled photons for the first time. Moreover, in the absence of fast single-photon detectors, we show how electro-optic phase modulation (originally a time-dependent operation) can be used to examine the coherence of biphoton frequency combs. Lastly, we introduce a scheme based on electro-optic intensity modulation, another time-domain operation, for improving the resolution in biphoton temporal correlation measurements. Overall, our body of work could provide additional insight into the manipulation and characterization of biphoton states, as well as contribute towards the improvement of quantum technologies.