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Optical Signal Processing for Manipulating and Characterizing Time-Frequency Entangled Photons

Ogaga D. Odele

Published Jan 1, 2018• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

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.

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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.
We demonstrate the generation of two-photon correlation trains based on spectral filtering of broadband biphotons. Programmable amplitude filtering is employed to create biphoton frequency combs, which when coupled with optical dispersion allows us to experimentally verify the temporal Talbot effect for entangled photons. Additionally, an alternative spectral phase-filtering approach is shown to significantly improve the overall efficiency of the generation process when a comb-like spectrum is not required. Our technique is ideal for the creation of tunable and high-repetition-rate biphoton states.
We experimentally demonstrate two innovative applications of photonic technologies previously solidified in the field of classical optical communications. In the first application, we exploit electro-optic modulator technology to develop a novel "time cloak,'' a device which hides events in time by manipulating the flow of a probing light beam. Our temporal cloak is capable of masking high-speed optical data from a receiver, greatly improving the feasibility of time cloaking and bringing such exotic concepts to the verge of practical application. In the second specialization, high-resolution Fourier-transform pulse shaping---perfected for multi-wavelength telecom networks---is applied to shape the correlations of entangled photon pairs, states which have received considerable attention in nonlocal tests of quantum theory and in quantum key distribution. Using nonlinear waveguides fabricated out of periodically poled lithium niobate, we are able to demonstrate ultrafast coincidence detection with record-high efficiency, which coupled with our pulse shaper allows us to realize for the first time several capabilities in biphoton control, including high-order dispersion cancellation, orthogonal spectral coding, correlation train generation, and tunable delay control. Each of these experiments represents an important advance in quantum state manipulation, with the potential to impact developments in quantum information. And more generally, our work introducing telecommunication technology into both temporal cloaking and biphoton control highlights the potential of such tools in more nascent outgrowths of classical and quantum optics.
Precise manipulation of the time–frequency modes of entangled photons is crucial for future quantum science and technologies. Recently, the frequency-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (FD-QOS) method was demonstrated by creating a superposition of different joint temporal amplitudes: those temporal distributions can be controlled by manipulating the joint spectral amplitude in 2D frequency space via a Fourier optical relation. This FD-QOS method provides an efficient, flexible, and easy-to-control way to precisely modulate the temporal distributions of the entangled photon in an ultrafast region. However, manipulation of only the temporal modes is not sufficient for various applications in quantum information, since spectral modulations are also needed on many occasions. Here, we present a proof-of-concept experiment of two-photon spectral modulation via temporal manipulation of a biphoton wave packet. This protocol, called time-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (TD-QOS), is achieved by adjusting the relative phases between two joint temporal distributions. In addition, the two-photon joint spectral distributions are characterized by measuring the joint spectral intensities and Hong–Ou–Mandel interferences. The combination of FD-QOS and TD-QOS enables complete control over the biphoton states. Our work would further develop quantum technologies that rely on the time–frequency modes of entangled photons.
Single photons provide a natural platform for quantum communication and quantum networking, as they can be entangled in many degrees of freedom and maintain coherence over long-distance links. However, while their minimal interactions with the environment isolate them from detrimental noise, it can make them difficult to measure and manipulate. In particular, manipulation on the ultrafast timescale is necessary to fully exploit the energy-time (or spectral) photonic degree of freedom. Full control over the spectral properties of single photons is key to many quantum technologies and opens the door to natural high-dimensional quantum encodings. \n \nIn this thesis, we theoretically and experimentally examine the use of nonlinear optical processes mediated by strong laser pulses as a method to control the spectral properties of ultrafast single photons. By mixing single-photon pulses with strong escort pulses that have been shaped through dispersion in a nonlinear crystal, the shape of the escort is imprinted on the photon, resulting in a custom-tailored upconverted pulse. We theoretically examine this process for quadratic spectral phases and show that it has the potential to be simultaneously effective and efficient for the customization of single-photon spectral waveforms, and can be performed in an entanglement-conserving manner. \n \nWe then experimentally demonstrate the range of this technique through three applications. First, we show that sum-frequency generation with shaped pulses can be used to coherently measure time-bin encoded photons with bin separations on the order of picoseconds, well below the timing resolution of our detectors. Secondly, we show that this technique can be adapted to convert a train of pulses to a frequency comb, which can be read out in a straightforward manner using diffraction-based spectrometry. We also show here that this process can be performed in a polarization-maintaining fashion, and demonstrate that entanglement with a partner photon is conserved with high fidelity. Finally, we show that this process can be viewed as a time lens, which modulates a temporal waveform in an analogous fashion to a lens focusing a beam of light. We apply the time lens to a photon from an energy-time entangled pair, and show negative magnification of the joint spectrum through a reversal of the spectral correlations. Such processes could find application in quantum state engineering and high-speed single-photon measurement.
Frequency-to-time mapping (FTM) is a technique used to mirror the spectral shape of an optical waveform in the time domain. The regular approach, based on the far-field condition, requires large amounts of dispersion for successful mapping. However, when the far-field condition is insurmountable for achieving a desired temporal profile, another technique, termed near-field FTM, can be employed to assist with the mapping. For the first time, we demonstrate a shaper-assisted near-field FTM using entangled photon pairs. By pre-modifying the two-photon spectral amplitude and phase before propagating the photon pairs through dispersion, we can achieve arbitrary temporal correlations in the near-field region.
We demonstrate a new biphoton manipulation and characterization technique based on electro-optic intensity modulation and time shifting. By applying fast modulation signals with a sharply peaked cross-correlation to each photon from an entangled pair, it is possible to measure temporal correlations with significantly higher precision than that attainable using standard single-photon detection. Low-duty-cycle pulses and maximal-length sequences are considered as modulation functions, reducing the time spread in our correlation measurement by a factor of five compared to our detector jitter. With state-of-the-art electro-optic components, we expect the potential to surpass the speed of any single-photon detectors currently available.