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

Journal of Physics Conference Series

Spontaneous parametric downconversion of light by a dielectric nanoparticle

Nikita A. Olekhno, Mihail I. Petrov, Ivan V. Iorsh

Published Mar 1, 2018• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In the present paper, we theoretically consider the generation of entangled photon pairs in the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion of light by a nonlinear dielectric nanoparticle. This nanoparticle is the only source of nonlinearity in the considered model. We assume that the particle is small compared to the wavelength of light so that the process is non-resonant. An intuitive theoretical description is developed for the case when the nonlinear susceptibility tensor of the material of a nanoparticle has a form of the Levi-Civita symbol. In this case, a two-photon amplitude which characterizes a spatial distribution of entangled photon pairs can be interpreted as a result of interference between two induced dipoles, both being orthogonal to the direction of polarization of the pump photon. A generation of entangled surface plasmon-polaritons by a dielectric nanoparticle located near the metal-dielectric interface is also considered.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/993/1/012022

Related papers

Generation of photon and plasmon pairs by a nonlinear semiconductor nanoparticle

Nikita A. Olekhno, Mihail I. Petrov, Ivan V. Iorsh

In the present work, we consider the generation of entangled photon pairs in the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion of light by a nanoparticle, as well as the generation of plasmon-polariton pairs with a nanoparticle located near a metal-dielectric interface.

OSA Advanced Photonics Congress•Jan 1, 2018•0 citations

Generating N00N states of surface plasmon polaritons with N = 2 by a single nanoparticle

Nikita A. Olekhno, Mihail I. Petrov, Ivan V. Iorsh +2 more

We consider a generation of two-particle quantum states in the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion of light by a dielectric nanoparticle with a bulk ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ response. As a particular example, we study the generation of surface plasmon polariton pairs with a $\mathrm{GaAs}$ nanoparticle located at the silver-air interface. We demonstrate theoretically that $\mathrm{N}00\mathrm{N}$ states of surface plasmon polariton pairs with $N=2$ can be obtained for certain excitation geometries. The effect can be physically interpreted as the result of a quantum interference between the pairs of induced sources, each emitting either signal or idler plasmons. We then relate the resulting $\mathrm{N}00\mathrm{N}$ pattern to the general symmetry properties of a dyadic Green's function of a dipole emitter exciting surface waves. It renders the considered effect as a general way towards the robust generation of $\mathrm{N}00\mathrm{N}$ states of surface waves using spontaneous parametric down-conversion in ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ nanoparticles.

Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jun 12, 2024•2 citations

Directional emission of down-converted photons from a dielectric nanoresonator

Anna Nikolaeva, Kristina Frizyuk, Nikita A. Olekhno +2 more

Creation of entangled photon pairs is one of the key topics in contemporary quantum optics. In the present article, we theoretically describe the generation of photon pairs in the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion of light by a resonant spherical nanoparticle made of a dielectric material with bulk ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(2)}$ nonlinearity. We consider the nanoparticle size that satisfies the condition of excitation of resonant eigenmodes described by Mie theory. We demonstrate that a highly directional photon pair generation can be observed utilizing the nonlinear Kerker-type effect, and that this regime provides useful polarization correlations between the emitted photons.

arXiv:2011.07842•Physical Review A•Apr 6, 2021•24 citations

Characterization of second-harmonic generation in silver nanoparticles for spontaneous parametric down-conversion

Ariel Ashkenazy, Eliahu Cohen, Dror Fixler

Energy-time entangled photon pairs (EPPs), which are at the heart of numerous quantum light applications, are commonly generated in nonlinear crystals. Some highly sensitive quantum applications require the use of ultra-broadband entangled photons that cannot be generated in nonlinear crystals due to phase-matching requirements. Here, we investigate the possibility of using metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a means for generating entangled photons through spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). MNPs are known for their strong light-matter coupling at their localized surface plasmon resonance, and since the propagation length through them is negligible relative to optical wavelengths, we consider them as excellent candidates to serve as non-phase matched sources of ultra-broadband entangled photons. To that end, we report experimental results of classical-light second-harmonic generation in silver nanotriangles and nanocubes embedded in polyvinyl alcohol. Based on the results of our experiments, performed using the reference-free hyper-Rayleigh scattering method [A. Ashkenazy et al., J. Phys. B 145401, 2019], we present an estimation of the characteristics of SPDC in MNPs. We show that, despite of the metals' centrosymmetric structure, MNPs exhibit second order nonlinearity that is mainly of an electric dipole nature, and so they are suitable for SPDC. Moreover, we show that localized surface-plasmon resonance can play a significant role in enhancing the generated EPPs flux. Finally, we compare the SPDC capabilities of MNPs to that of commonly used nonlinear crystals and show that the expected EPPs flux from MNPs is weaker but the EPPs have very large bandwidth, which could be helpful for advanced quantum sensing, spectroscopy and communication applications.

Optical and Quantum Sensing and Precision Metrology II•Mar 3, 2022•1 citation

Generating Quantum States of Surface Plasmon-Polariton Pairs with a Nonlinear Nanoparticle

Nikita A. Olekhno, Mihail I. Petrov, Ivan V. Iorsh +2 more

In the last few years, materials with strong second-order optical nonlinearity such as gallium arsenide, barium titanate and transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted significant attention, because they for the first time allowed efficient nonlinear optical interactions on the sub-micron scales. One of such nonlinear optical interactions - spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) - allows the generation of pairs of correlated photons and can enable photon entanglement. This is the foundation of many quantum optical applications ranging from secure communication to ultrafast quantum computing. The key challenges in this field are efficiency and the generation of on-demand quantum states.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2019•0 citations

Quantum nonlinear light emission in metamaterials: broadband Purcell enhancement of parametric downconversion

Artur R. Davoyan, Harry A. Atwater

Single-photon and correlated two-photon sources are important elements for optical information systems. Nonlinear downconversion light sources are robust and stable emitters of single photons and entangled photon pairs. However, the rate of downconverted light emission, dictated by the properties of low-symmetry nonlinear crystals, is typically very small, leading to significant constraints in device design and integration. In this Letter, we study principles of spontaneous emission control (i.e., the Purcell effect) generalized to describe the enhancement of nonlinear generation of quantum light through spontaneous parametric downconversion. We develop a theoretical framework based on eigenmode analysis to study quantum nonlinear emission in a general anisotropic, dispersive, and lossy media. Our theory provides an unprecedented insight into the emission process. We find that spontaneous parametric downconversion in a media with hyperbolic dispersion is broadband and phase-mismatch-free. We further predict a significant enhancement of the downconverted emission rate in experimentally realistic nanostructures. Our theoretical formalism and approach to Purcell enhancement of nonlinear optical processes provides a framework for description of quantum nonlinear optical phenomena in complex nanophotonic structures.

Optica•May 11, 2018•30 citations
In the present paper, we theoretically consider the generation of entangled photon pairs in the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion of light by a nonlinear dielectric nanoparticle. This nanoparticle is the only source of nonlinearity in the considered model. We assume that the particle is small compared to the wavelength of light so that the process is non-resonant. An intuitive theoretical description is developed for the case when the nonlinear susceptibility tensor of the material of a nanoparticle has a form of the Levi-Civita symbol. In this case, a two-photon amplitude which characterizes a spatial distribution of entangled photon pairs can be interpreted as a result of interference between two induced dipoles, both being orthogonal to the direction of polarization of the pump photon. A generation of entangled surface plasmon-polaritons by a dielectric nanoparticle located near the metal-dielectric interface is also considered.
We consider a generation of two-particle quantum states in the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion of light by a dielectric nanoparticle with a bulk ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ response. As a particular example, we study the generation of surface plasmon polariton pairs with a GaAs\mathrm{GaAs}GaAs nanoparticle located at the silver-air interface. We demonstrate theoretically that N00N\mathrm{N}00\mathrm{N}N00N states of surface plasmon polariton pairs with N=2N=2N=2 can be obtained for certain excitation geometries. The effect can be physically interpreted as the result of a quantum interference between the pairs of induced sources, each emitting either signal or idler plasmons. We then relate the resulting N00N\mathrm{N}00\mathrm{N}N00N pattern to the general symmetry properties of a dyadic Green's function of a dipole emitter exciting surface waves. It renders the considered effect as a general way towards the robust generation of N00N\mathrm{N}00\mathrm{N}N00N states of surface waves using spontaneous parametric down-conversion in ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ nanoparticles.
Creation of entangled photon pairs is one of the key topics in contemporary quantum optics. In the present article, we theoretically describe the generation of photon pairs in the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion of light by a resonant spherical nanoparticle made of a dielectric material with bulk ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(2)}$ nonlinearity. We consider the nanoparticle size that satisfies the condition of excitation of resonant eigenmodes described by Mie theory. We demonstrate that a highly directional photon pair generation can be observed utilizing the nonlinear Kerker-type effect, and that this regime provides useful polarization correlations between the emitted photons.
Energy-time entangled photon pairs (EPPs), which are at the heart of numerous quantum light applications, are commonly generated in nonlinear crystals. Some highly sensitive quantum applications require the use of ultra-broadband entangled photons that cannot be generated in nonlinear crystals due to phase-matching requirements. Here, we investigate the possibility of using metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a means for generating entangled photons through spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). MNPs are known for their strong light-matter coupling at their localized surface plasmon resonance, and since the propagation length through them is negligible relative to optical wavelengths, we consider them as excellent candidates to serve as non-phase matched sources of ultra-broadband entangled photons. To that end, we report experimental results of classical-light second-harmonic generation in silver nanotriangles and nanocubes embedded in polyvinyl alcohol. Based on the results of our experiments, performed using the reference-free hyper-Rayleigh scattering method [A. Ashkenazy et al., J. Phys. B 145401, 2019], we present an estimation of the characteristics of SPDC in MNPs. We show that, despite of the metals' centrosymmetric structure, MNPs exhibit second order nonlinearity that is mainly of an electric dipole nature, and so they are suitable for SPDC. Moreover, we show that localized surface-plasmon resonance can play a significant role in enhancing the generated EPPs flux. Finally, we compare the SPDC capabilities of MNPs to that of commonly used nonlinear crystals and show that the expected EPPs flux from MNPs is weaker but the EPPs have very large bandwidth, which could be helpful for advanced quantum sensing, spectroscopy and communication applications.
In the last few years, materials with strong second-order optical nonlinearity such as gallium arsenide, barium titanate and transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted significant attention, because they for the first time allowed efficient nonlinear optical interactions on the sub-micron scales. One of such nonlinear optical interactions - spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) - allows the generation of pairs of correlated photons and can enable photon entanglement. This is the foundation of many quantum optical applications ranging from secure communication to ultrafast quantum computing. The key challenges in this field are efficiency and the generation of on-demand quantum states.
Single-photon and correlated two-photon sources are important elements for optical information systems. Nonlinear downconversion light sources are robust and stable emitters of single photons and entangled photon pairs. However, the rate of downconverted light emission, dictated by the properties of low-symmetry nonlinear crystals, is typically very small, leading to significant constraints in device design and integration. In this Letter, we study principles of spontaneous emission control (i.e., the Purcell effect) generalized to describe the enhancement of nonlinear generation of quantum light through spontaneous parametric downconversion. We develop a theoretical framework based on eigenmode analysis to study quantum nonlinear emission in a general anisotropic, dispersive, and lossy media. Our theory provides an unprecedented insight into the emission process. We find that spontaneous parametric downconversion in a media with hyperbolic dispersion is broadband and phase-mismatch-free. We further predict a significant enhancement of the downconverted emission rate in experimentally realistic nanostructures. Our theoretical formalism and approach to Purcell enhancement of nonlinear optical processes provides a framework for description of quantum nonlinear optical phenomena in complex nanophotonic structures.