Generation of entangled photon states in nonlinear nanostructures and metamaterials

Mahi R. Singh

William T. M. Irvine, M. J. A. de Dood, Dirk Bouwmeester

Yang Ming, Jie Ying Tang, Wang Zhang +1 more

We investigate utilizing nonlinear metamaterials for generating entangled photons with expected characteristics. Metamaterials are artificial structures with unique properties which are not attainable with naturally existing materials. In recent years, owing to high designability and flexibility, metamaterials have been deeply investigated and utilized for constructing novel photonic devices. Through tailoring the nanostructures of metamaterials with feasible nonlinear optical character, we can control the PDC process inside the medium to generate desirable photon states. Various spatial perturbations of optical parameters with special distributions can be introduced in via suitable arraying of elements of metamaterials. The spatial properties of entangled photons such as orbital angular momentum can be flexibly engineered. The nonlinear metamaterial provides a flexible platform for steering photonic entanglement.

Yang Ming, Yuan Liu, Wei Chen +2 more

The high designability of metamaterials has made them an attractive platform for devising novel optoelectronic devices. The demonstration of nonlinear metamaterials further indicates their potential in developing quantum applications. Here, we investigate designing nonlinear metamaterials consisting of the 3-fold (C3) rotationally symmetrical nanoantennas for generating and modulating entangled photons in the spatial degrees of freedom. Through tailoring the geometry and orientation of the nanoantennas, the parametric down conversion process inside the metamaterials can be locally engineered to generate entangled states with desired spatial properties. As the orbital angular momentum (OAM) states are valuable for enhancing the data capacity of quantum information systems, the photonic OAM entanglement is practically considered. With suitable nanostructure design, the generation of OAM entangled states is shown to be effectively realized in the discussed nonlinear metamaterial system. The nonlinear metamaterials present a perspective to provide a flexible platform for quantum photonic applications.

Juan P. Torres, Konrad Banaszek, Ian A. Walmsley

Yang Ming, Wang Zhang, Jie Ying Tang +4 more

In article number 1900146, Yang Ming, Yushen Liu, Yan-qing Lu, and co-workers investigate parametric down conversion processes in nonlinear metamaterials for generating entangled photon states. As the nanostructures of metamaterials can be flexibly designed, such a system is quite suitable for modulating photonic entanglement in spatial degrees of freedom. The entangled states of orbital angular momentum are considered in detail and proven to be available.