Squeezed states of light are quantum states that can be used in numerous protocols for quantum computation and quantum communication. Their generation in labora- tories has been investigated before, but they still lack compactness and practicality to easily integrate them into larger experiments. This thesis considers two experiments: one conducted in France, the miniOPO; and one conducted in Australia, the SquOPO. Both are new designs of compact sources of squeezed states of light towards an integrated system. The miniOPO is a linear cavity of 5mm length between the end of a fiber and a curved mirror with a PPKTP crystal of 1mm inside it. The squeezing generated in this cavity is coupled into the fiber to be able to be brought to a measurement device (homodyne) or to a larger experiment. The cavity is resonant for the squeezed light and the pump light, and locked in frequency using self-locking effects due to absorption of the pump in the crystal. The double resonance is achieved by changing the temperature of the crystal. Two different fibers have been tested in this experiment, a standard single-mode fiber and a photonic large core single-mode fiber. The squeezing obtained is still quite low (0.5dB with the standard fiber and 0.9dB for the photonic fiber) but a number of ameliorations are investigated to increase these levels in the future. The SqOPO is a monolithic square cavity made in a Lithium Niobate crystal using four total internal reflections on the four faces of the square to define an optical mode for the squeezed mode and the pump mode. The light is coupled in the resonator using frustrated internal reflection with prisms. The distance between the prisms and the resonator defined the coupling of the light, which allows us to control the finesse of the light in the resonator and by using birefringent prisms it is possible to tune independently the two frequencies in the resonator to achieve an optimal regime. The frequency of the light is locked using absorption of the pump light in the resonator to achieve self-locking, and double resonance is controlled by tuning the temperature of the crystal. We demonstrated 2.6dB of vacuum squeezing with this system. Once again, the amount of squeezing is low, but ameliorations that could be implemented in the future are discussed.
Squeezed states of light are quantum states that can be used in numerous protocols for quantum computation and quantum communication. Their generation in labora- tories has been investigated before, but they still lack compactness and practicality to easily integrate them into larger experiments. This thesis considers two experiments: one conducted in France, the miniOPO; and one conducted in Australia, the SquOPO. Both are new designs of compact sources of squeezed states of light towards an integrated system. The miniOPO is a linear cavity of 5mm length between the end of a fiber and a curved mirror with a PPKTP crystal of 1mm inside it. The squeezing generated in this cavity is coupled into the fiber to be able to be brought to a measurement device (homodyne) or to a larger experiment. The cavity is resonant for the squeezed light and the pump light, and locked in frequency using self-locking effects due to absorption of the pump in the crystal. The double resonance is achieved by changing the temperature of the crystal. Two different fibers have been tested in this experiment, a standard single-mode fiber and a photonic large core single-mode fiber. The squeezing obtained is still quite low (0.5dB with the standard fiber and 0.9dB for the photonic fiber) but a number of ameliorations are investigated to increase these levels in the future. The SqOPO is a monolithic square cavity made in a Lithium Niobate crystal using four total internal reflections on the four faces of the square to define an optical mode for the squeezed mode and the pump mode. The light is coupled in the resonator using frustrated internal reflection with prisms. The distance between the prisms and the resonator defined the coupling of the light, which allows us to control the finesse of the light in the resonator and by using birefringent prisms it is possible to tune independently the two frequencies in the resonator to achieve an optimal regime. The frequency of the light is locked using absorption of the pump light in the resonator to achieve self-locking, and double resonance is controlled by tuning the temperature of the crystal. We demonstrated 2.6dB of vacuum squeezing with this system. Once again, the amount of squeezing is low, but ameliorations that could be implemented in the future are discussed.
In this work, we investigate three different compact fibered systems generating vacuum squeezing that involve optical cavities limited by the end surface of a fiber and by a curved mirror and containing a thin parametric crystal. These systems have the advantage to couple squeezed states directly to a fiber, allowing the user to benefit from the flexibility of fibers in the use of squeezing. Three types of fibers are investigated: standard single-mode fibers, photonic-crystal large-mode-area single-mode fibers, and short multimode fibers taped to a single-mode fiber. The observed squeezing is modest (-0.56 dB, -0.9 dB, -1 dB), but these experiments open the way for miniaturized squeezing devices that could be a very interesting advantage in scaling up quantum systems for quantum processing, opening new perspectives in the domain of integrated quantum optics.
Mini squeezers vers des systèmes intégrés Les états comprimés de lumière sont des états quantiques qui peuvent être utilisés dans de nombreux protocoles pour le calcul quantique et la communication quantique. Leur génération en laboratoire a déja été étudiée au paravant, mais ils manquent en general encore de compacité et de praticitalité pour une intégration facile dans des expériences plus grandes. Cette thèse considère deux expériences: celle menée en France, le miniOPO; et celle menée en Australie, le SquOPO. Les deux sont de nouvelles conceptions de sources compactes d' état de lumière comprimé dans l'optique d'une integration future. Le miniOPO est une cavité linéaire d'une longueur de 5 mm entre l'extrémité d'une fibre et un miroir incurvé avec un cristal de PPKTP de 1 mm à l'intérieur. Le vide comprimé généré dans cette cavité est couplé dans la fibre pour pouvoir être envoyé vers un systeme de mesure, (dispositif homodyne) ou vers une plus grande expérience. La cavité est résonnante pour la frequence de lumiere comprimé et pour celle de la pompe. Le systeme est verrouillé en fréquence en utilisant des effets auto-verrouillant du à l'absorption de la pompe dans le cristal. La double résonance est obtenue en changeant la température du cristal. Deux fibres différentes ont été testées dans cette expérience, une fibre mono-mode standard, et une fibre photonique mono-mode avec un diametre de mode plus important. Le vide comprimé obtenu est encore assez faible (0.5dB avec la fibre standard et 0.9dB pour la fibre photonique), mais un certain nombre d'améliorations sont étudiées pour augmenter ces niveaux dans l'avenir. Le SqOPO est une cavité carrée monolithique dans un cristal de niobate de lithium. En utilisant quatre réflexions total internes sur les quatre faces du crystal, il est possible de definir un mode optique de cavité pour la frequence du vide comprimé et celle du mode de la pompe. La lumière est couplée dans le résonateur en utilisant une frustration de la réflexion interne par des prismes. La distance entre les prismes et le résonateur défini la force du couplage de la lumière, ce qui nous permet de contrôler la la finesse de la lumière dans le résonateur. En utilisant des prismes biréfringents, il est possible de controler indépendamment la finesse des deux fréquences dans le résonateur pour atteindre un régime optimum. Comme pour le MiniOPO, La fréquence de resonance de la cavité est verouillé grace à l' absorption de la lumière de pompage dans le résonateur, ce qui permet d' atteindre l'auto-verrouillage. La double résonance est contrôlée par le réglage de la température du cristal. et la position des prismes. Nous avons démontré 2.6dB de vide comprimé avec ce système. Encore une fois, la quantité de compression est faible, mais des améliorations qui pourraient être mises en œuvre dans l'avenir sont discutées.
Useful applications for squeezed states of light have been theorized for decades, however, only recently have advancements in the technology allowed for experimental investigations into applications of squeezed light. Most experiments which involve squeezing could be benefited by having a squeezing source which produces stable, highly squeezed states. This thesis investigates the generation of squeezed states of light which exhibit these properties, stability and high levels of squeezing. The key investigations are; • Initially a model is produced which estimates the expected level of squeezing in a singly or doubly resonant cavity. The properties of the cavity are altered by varying the reflectivity of one of the cavity mirrors for either the pump or seed frequencies. The effects of increasing pump power and introducing additional losses into the cavity are investigated as well as the optimum resonance conditions for maximum squeezing. • Built 3 squeezers with 3 different nonlinear mediums. A maximum squeezing value was found for each of the crystals and any effects which degraded or improved the results were investigated. Using PPKTP 5.8±0.1dB of squeezing was directly observed. Using PPSLT 4.9±0.1dB of squeezing was directly observed. PPSLT was found to have an unusually high threshold power, indicating that the crystal may have had a nonlinear coefficient much lower than expected. Using 1.7% MgO:PPSLN 1.1±0.2dB of squeezing was observed. The poor squeezing results were due to an anomaly in the material which affected its reflectivity and is investigated in the thesis. • The intra-cavity loss introduced to the system through the addition of each of the crystals was inferred from measurements of the cavity finesse, and the effect of this loss is explored. • Demonstrated the usefulness of a wedge in periodically poled materials to reach the optimum resonance condition in the squeezing setup. It is shown that the wedge is capable of cancelling the dispersion introduced in a round trip of the cavity, with no discernible negative effects. These investigations are used to comment on the suitability of each of these crystals for future experiments involving squeezing and possible modifications to improve the results.
Multimode squeezed light is a key resource for quantum technologies, enabling applications in boson sampling, quantum networks, and optical quantum computation [1],[2]. Parametric down-conversion in synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators (SPOPOs) offers a versatile platform for generating multimode squeezed states across the time-frequency domain. In these systems, supermodes manifest as independent quantum states in the temporal domain and as frequency combs in the spectral domain [3]. Precise control of these states is crucial for quantum applications and requires an experimental setup capable of fine-tuning multiple parameters to optimize squeezing properties. In this work, we present an experimental setup for generating and characterizing multimode vacuum squeezed states using a SPOPO and a balanced homodyne detection scheme. Two spatial light modulators (SLMs) placed on the pump and local oscillator (LO) beams provide full control over their spectral properties, including amplitude and phase shaping. This flexibility allows us to optimize the experimental conditions and investigate squeezing dependence on key parameters such as the LO spectral detuning and bandwidth. By introducing a programmableπ-phase shift to the LO via the SLM, we selectively probe the multimode structure, distinguishing between even and odd supermodes. Additionally, the SLM on the pump can introduce an arbitrary chirp, further enhancing control over the system. Our setup, schematized in Figure 1a, is based on a commercial mode-locked Yb-fiber laser operating at 93MHz, emitting pulses centered at 1035nm with a 10nm bandwidth. A portion of the radiation is frequency-doubled to 517.5nm via an LBO crystal to serve as the pump for the SPOPO, while the remaining part is used as the LO for homodyne detection after transmission through the SPOPO cavity, ensuring high beam quality. The SPOPO cavity is frequency-locked to the laser via a Pound-Drever-Hall technique, ensuring stable and optimized operation. Figure 1b presents representative measurements of squeezing levels as a function of the LO spectral bandwidth, showing how its symmetric or antisymmetric phase influences the detection of different supermodes and, consequently, the squeezing level depending on their structure. The measurements were performed using lithium niobate (LNB) nonlinear crystals of 3.0mm and 1.5mm lengths. Our setup allows for future investigations of dispersion effects on squeezing, thus far only theoretically predicted [4], by introducing chirped mirrors for dispersion compensation. Moreover, different nonlinear crystals, such as lithium niobate, beta barium borate (BBO), and lithium triborate (LBO) of various lengths, will be tested to explore the multimode properties of the squeezed states. These investigations will provide insights into the experimental conditions required to achieve single-mode squeezing, crucial for applications such as Gaussian Boson Sampling, with results to be presented at the conference.
Quantum optical technologies promise advances in sensing, computing, and communication. A key resource is squeezed light, where quantum noise is redistributed between optical quadratures. We introduce a monolithic, chip-scale platform that exploits the χ (2) nonlinearity of a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) resonator device to efficiently generate squeezed states of light. Our system integrates all essential components—except for the laser and two detectors—on a single chip with an area of one square centimeter, reducing the size, operational complexity, and power consumption associated with conventional setups. Using the balanced homodyne measurement subsystem that we implemented on the same chip, we measure a squeezing of 0.55 decibels and an anti-squeezing of 1.55 decibels. We use 20 milliwatts of input power to generate the parametric oscillator pump field by using second harmonic generation on the same chip. Our work represents a step toward compact and efficient quantum optical systems posed to leverage the rapid advances in integrated nonlinear and quantum photonics.
We generate squeezed state of light at 860 nm with a monolithic optical parametric oscillator. The optical parametric oscillator consists of a periodically poled KTiOPO(4) crystal, both ends of which are spherically polished and mirror-coated. We achieve both phase matching and cavity resonance by controlling only the temperature of the crystal. We observe up to -8.0±0.2 dB of squeezing with the bandwidth of 142 MHz. Our technique makes it possible to drive many monolithic cavities simultaneously by a single laser. Hence our monolithic optical parametric oscillator is quite suitable to continuous-variable quantum information experiments where we need a large number of highly squeezed light beams.