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Frontiers in Optics

Small-Period Titanium-Diffused Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate Waveguides for Strongly Nondegenerate Quantum Frequency Conversion

John W. Snyder, Alexander V. Sergienko

Published Jan 1, 2018• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

A Ti-diffused periodically poled Lithium Niobate device with ultra-short poling periods has been developed for strongly nondegenerate quantum nonlinear optics. Quantum frequency conversion from 369.5nm to 1550nm with a 485nm pump laser is targeted.
DOI
10.1364/fio.2018.jtu2a.94

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A titanium-diffused periodically poled lithium niobite (Ti:PPLN) waveguide device with ultra-short poling periods is developed for strongly nondegenerate quantum frequency conversion (QFC) from 369.5nm to 1550nm with a 485nm pump. A practical quantum information network requires a quantum state transfer link between disparate frequencies corresponding to atomic quantum memories and the telecommunication fiber network spectral window. QFC occurs in a nonlinear parametric amplifier. A Ti:PPLN diffused waveguide implementation allows for concentration of mode fields along the full interaction length of the nonlinear crystal. It also allows for engineering of an arbitrary desired nonlinear interaction based on poling parameters through quasi phase matching (QPM). Despite the relative maturity of PPLN technology, the target interaction is quasi phase matched at a period of 2.053μm which represents a significant technical challenge. The periodic poling process requires localization of strong electric fields on the order of 20kV/mm onto stripes which are on the order of 1μm. Thus, nickel- chromium (NiCr) electrodes are used to localize domain nucleation and enhance domain inversion quality by a factor of 200 compared to traditional periodic poling techniques. Devices are fabricated by diffusing Ti stripes into the crystal substrate, then sputtering and wet etching a NiCr layer to form the electrodes. High voltage is applied in an electrolyte bath using a Trek 20/20C high voltage amplifier with a custom high-speed controller utilizing an ARM processor core, FPGA, and A/D converter. Poled devices are then stripped of electrodes and their end faces are polished for optical measurement.
The quantum nature of light at the single photon level allows for unique applications that classical physics neither predicts nor describes. Most notably, appropriate conditions may cause the states of photons with indistinguishable properties to become entangled, enabling novel approaches to quantum computation, secure communications, and metrology. \n \nAny operational quantum information network transporting entangled-photon states must establish a high-fidelity link between its distant nodes despite the inherent fragility of entangled states. However, the lack of a universal operating wavelength for all optical devices makes this a substantial challenge. Telecommunication fibers, entangled photon pair sources, quantum optical memories, and quantum repeaters all function in disparate spectral windows dictated by the properties of the materials used to fabricate them. Quantum frequency conversion (QFC), the single-photon limit of nonlinear parametric sum and difference frequency generation in optics, offers a bridge between spectral regions with full preservation of quantum state character, including entanglement. \n \nPeriodically poled optical waveguides in ferroelectric crystals are versatile tools in nonlinear optics. Confining the nonlinear interaction to a waveguide greatly enhances its efficiency compared to bulk optics. Periodic poling, the process of periodically inverting the domains of a ferroelectric medium using a strong electric field, enables a variety of quasi-phase matching configurations to engineer a desired nonlinear interaction. \n \nThis work concentrates on the design, development, fabrication, and characterization of a titanium-diffused periodically poled lithium niobate (Ti:PPLN) waveguide device. This device is designed to execute single-step quantum frequency conversion from 369.5nm to 1550nm in order to facilitate a quantum state transfer between standard fiber telecommunication wavelengths and an atomic quantum memory system employing trapped ytterbium ions. \n \nThe creation of phase matching conditions for such an extreme distance in frequency demands precise control of high magnitude electric fields on the single-micron scale. As the first demonstration of its kind in Ti:PPLN, the development of these devices included novel improvements to existing fabrication methods, improving the state-of-the-art of precision, quality, and yield for poling of ferroelectric crystals.
Lithium niobate is a versatile material for both classical and quantum photonics, recognized for its outstanding electro-optic and nonlinear optical properties. Through a process known as poling, periodic ferroelectric crystal domains can be engineered to enable quasi-phase-matched frequency conversion, efficient modulation, and the generation of quantum light sources. The emergence of lithium niobate on insulator technology has further enhanced its suitability for scalable integrated photonics, offering ultra-low optical losses and strong light confinement while retaining the material's inherent advantages. Here, the techniques used to fabricate and characterize periodically poled lithium niobate are reviewed. Key developments are discussed, offering insights into the future of domain engineering of lithium niobate.