Organic molecules coming of age in quantum optics

Costanza Toninelli, Ilja Gerhardt, Alex S. Clark +13 more

A. P. Aleksandrov, Vladimir N. Genkin, G. F. Efremova +1 more

Tobias Utikal, Vahid Sandoghdar

The coherent coupling to Fabry-Perot microcavities and to subwavelength ring resonators makes single organic dye molecules in the solid state viable candidates for integration in chip-based quantum optical circuits.

Moses Gaither-Ganim, Scott A Newlon, Michael G. Anderson +1 more

Abstract Since the onset of the 1990s, the development of single-molecule spectroscopy has led to the discovery of various quantum optical signatures in organic single molecules. The single-photon nature of an organic chromophore is of particular importance because of its potential as a nonclassical photon source at room temperature for quantum information science and optical quantum computing. This condensed review focuses on the introduction of fundamental knowledge and basic experimental methods for single-photon sources and organic molecular photophysics and summarizes the research developments in this field, providing an understanding of quantum emission from organic single molecules.

D. Meiser, T. Miyakawa, Hermann Uys +1 more

Leslie Upton, Michael R. Harpham, Özgün Süzer +3 more

We utilize quantum entangled photons to carry out nonlinear optical spectroscopy in organic molecules with an extremely small number of photons. For the first time, fluorescence is reported as a result of entangled photon absorption in organic nonlinear optical molecules. Selectivity of the entangled photon absorption process is also observed and a theoretical model of this process is provided. Through these experiments and theoretical modeling it is found that while some molecules may not have strong classical nonlinear optical properties due to their excitation pathways; these same excitation pathways may enhance the entangled photon processes. It is found that the opposite is also true. Some materials with weak classical nonlinear optical effects may exhibit strong non-classical nonlinear optical effects. Our entangled photon fluorescence results provide the first steps in realizing and demonstrating the viability of entangled two-photon microscopy, remote sensing, and optical communications.