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

Laser Physics Letters

Ultrafast nonlinear phenomena in fiber-optic photon-pair generation by ultrashort laser pulses

Aleksei M. Zheltikov

Published Nov 20, 2018• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Effects of ultrafast nonlinear optics are shown to play a significant role in photon-pair generation by spontaneous four-wave mixing (FWM) of broadband photon packets in an optical fiber. When extended to this regime, the models of photon-pair generation can stay consistent with energy and photon-number conservation only when the frequency dependence of nonlinear wave coupling is included, giving rise to a shock-type waveform dynamics and a strong asymmetry in FWM sideband amplification. Resonant energy transfer from soliton transients to dispersive waves, accompanied by Cherenkov-type radiation, is shown to open a channel whereby FWM output photons are lost from entanglement generation pathways.

DOI
10.1088/1612-202x/aad98a

Related papers

Comparison of photon-pair generation rate between the sideband and fundamental modes of spontaneous four-wave mixing

Dongjin Lee, Kyungdeuk Park, Heedeuk Shin

Abstract Spontaneous four-wave mixing (SpFWM) in fiber optics has been investigated due to its high photon-pair generation rate and negligible connection loss to fiber optic systems. Photon pairs generated in the fundamental or sideband modes satisfy SpFWM’s phase matching condition, and the pair-generation efficiency of both modes has been considered nearly identical. Here, we directly compare the pair-generation efficiency of the fundamental and sideband modes. Dispersion in optical fiber varies unevenly, and SpFWM in the sideband mode is more sensitive to the medium’s dispersion properties than in the fundamental mode, inducing lower pair-generation efficiency. These strong non-uniformity effects in the sideband mode will affect the photon-pair generation and four-wave mixing based quantum and nonlinear applications.

Journal of Optics•Jul 27, 2021•2 citations

Generation of photon pairs in time-lapse entangled quantum states by spontaneous four-wave mixing in nonlinear fiber-optic ring resonators

W.F. da Silva, J.L.S. Lima, A. F. G. F. Filho +3 more

Quantum entanglement has been an extremely active field of research, both theoretically and experimentally. Studies on entanglement are fundamental to improving our basic understanding of quantum mechanics. As our understanding of the phenomenon grows, so does interest in using it to advance various technological fields: communications, computing, and sensing, to name just a few. It is now known that entangled photon pairs can be generated through a process known as Spontaneous Four-Wave Mixing (SFWM). In this paper, we report the generation of entangled photon pairs in time intervals by spontaneous four-wave mixing in a nonlinear fiber optic ring resonator. The requirements for efficient SFWM are quite similar to those for classical FWM, but they require even greater precision, especially for quantum applications. To achieve a measurable pair generation rate, a high-intensity pump laser is essential. The nonlinear medium must have high nonlinearity and confinement. This technique is compatible with contemporary fiber, enabling compact, low-cost, and scalable implementations such as quantum memories.

Optics Communications•Mar 19, 2026•0 citations

Two-Photon Correlation of Spontaneously Generated Broadband Four-Waves Mixing

Rafi Z. Vered, M. Rosenbluh, Avi Pe’er

We measure the time-energy correlation of broadband, spontaneously generated four wave mixing (FWM), and demonstrate novel time-frequency coupling effects; specifically, we observe a power-dependent splitting of the correlation in both energy and time. By pumping a photonic crystal fiber with narrowband picosecond pulses we generate FWM in a unique regime, where broadband (>100nm), sidebands are generated that are incoherent, yet time-energy correlated. Although the observed time-energy correlation in FWM is conceptually similar to parametric down conversion, its unique dependence on pump intensity due to self and cross phase modulation effects, yields spectral and temporal structure in the correlations. While these effects are minute compared to the time duration and bandwidth of the FWM sidebands, they are well observed using sum frequency generation as a precise, ultrafast, wide-bandwidth correlation detector.

arXiv:1112.0855•Dec 5, 2011•0 citations

Ultrabroadband photon pair preparation by spontaneous four-wave mixing in a dispersion-engineered optical fiber

Karina Garay-Palmett, Alfred B. U’Ren, R. Rangel-Rojo +2 more

We present a study of the spectral properties of photon pairs generated through the process of spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in single mode fiber. Our analysis assumes narrowband pumps, which are allowed to be frequency degenerate or nondegenerate. Based on this analysis, we derive conditions on the pump frequencies and on the fiber dispersion parameters which guarantee the generation of ultrabroadband photon pairs. Such photon pairs are characterized by (i) a very large degree of entanglement, and (ii) a very high degree of temporal synchronization between the signal and idler photons. Through a numerical exercise, we find that the use of photonic crystal fiber (PCF) facilitates the fulfilment of the conditions for ultrabroadband photon pair generation; in particular, the spectral region in which emission occurs can be adjusted to particular needs through an appropriate choice of the PCF parameters. In addition, we present a quantum interference effect, resulting from indistinguishable pathways to the same outcome, which can occur when pumping a SFWM source with multiple spectral lines.

arXiv:0810.1333•Physical Review A•Oct 30, 2008•24 citations

Ultrafast quantum optics

Ian A. Walmsley

Ultrashort light pulses play an important role in the generation, manipulation and characterization of nonclassical light. Nonclassical light is often generated from a classical pump beam using a nonlinear optical process. One might expect that the high peak intensity of ultrashort pulses would provide the necessary driver for such processes, and this is indeed the case. Ultrashort pulses have been used to generate squeezed states, and quadrature entangled states via three and four wave mixing, photon number states, polarization and frequency or directional entangled photon pairs states via three wave mixing.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2005•0 citations

All-fiber broadband photon pair generation in dispersion flattened highly non-linear fiber

Anadi Agnihotri, Pradeep Kumar Krishnamurthy

We report on a spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) based broadband correlated photon pair generation using a dispersion flattened highly-nonlinear fiber (DF-HNLF). The DF-HNLF is pumped by a stable mode-locked laser (MLL) which generates pump pulses of 250 ps FWHM at a repetition rate of 94.509 MHz. The joint spectral intensity (JSI) data indicates photon pair generation across entire S, C, and L bands. The intrinsic photon pair generation rate, after accounting for spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS), system loss, and detector dark counts, is ≈ 100kHz although due to detection gating limit we measured the rate to be 1 kHz at peak pump power of 70 mW. The use of an arbitrary waveform generator for establishing pump MLL and gating of the single-photon detectors (SPDs) allows for precise synchronization of generation and detection of photon pairs.

JSAP-OSA Joint Symposia•Jan 1, 2024•0 citations
Abstract Effects of ultrafast nonlinear optics are shown to play a significant role in photon-pair generation by spontaneous four-wave mixing (FWM) of broadband photon packets in an optical fiber. When extended to this regime, the models of photon-pair generation can stay consistent with energy and photon-number conservation only when the frequency dependence of nonlinear wave coupling is included, giving rise to a shock-type waveform dynamics and a strong asymmetry in FWM sideband amplification. Resonant energy transfer from soliton transients to dispersive waves, accompanied by Cherenkov-type radiation, is shown to open a channel whereby FWM output photons are lost from entanglement generation pathways.
Abstract Spontaneous four-wave mixing (SpFWM) in fiber optics has been investigated due to its high photon-pair generation rate and negligible connection loss to fiber optic systems. Photon pairs generated in the fundamental or sideband modes satisfy SpFWM’s phase matching condition, and the pair-generation efficiency of both modes has been considered nearly identical. Here, we directly compare the pair-generation efficiency of the fundamental and sideband modes. Dispersion in optical fiber varies unevenly, and SpFWM in the sideband mode is more sensitive to the medium’s dispersion properties than in the fundamental mode, inducing lower pair-generation efficiency. These strong non-uniformity effects in the sideband mode will affect the photon-pair generation and four-wave mixing based quantum and nonlinear applications.
Quantum entanglement has been an extremely active field of research, both theoretically and experimentally. Studies on entanglement are fundamental to improving our basic understanding of quantum mechanics. As our understanding of the phenomenon grows, so does interest in using it to advance various technological fields: communications, computing, and sensing, to name just a few. It is now known that entangled photon pairs can be generated through a process known as Spontaneous Four-Wave Mixing (SFWM). In this paper, we report the generation of entangled photon pairs in time intervals by spontaneous four-wave mixing in a nonlinear fiber optic ring resonator. The requirements for efficient SFWM are quite similar to those for classical FWM, but they require even greater precision, especially for quantum applications. To achieve a measurable pair generation rate, a high-intensity pump laser is essential. The nonlinear medium must have high nonlinearity and confinement. This technique is compatible with contemporary fiber, enabling compact, low-cost, and scalable implementations such as quantum memories.
We measure the time-energy correlation of broadband, spontaneously generated four wave mixing (FWM), and demonstrate novel time-frequency coupling effects; specifically, we observe a power-dependent splitting of the correlation in both energy and time. By pumping a photonic crystal fiber with narrowband picosecond pulses we generate FWM in a unique regime, where broadband (>100nm), sidebands are generated that are incoherent, yet time-energy correlated. Although the observed time-energy correlation in FWM is conceptually similar to parametric down conversion, its unique dependence on pump intensity due to self and cross phase modulation effects, yields spectral and temporal structure in the correlations. While these effects are minute compared to the time duration and bandwidth of the FWM sidebands, they are well observed using sum frequency generation as a precise, ultrafast, wide-bandwidth correlation detector.
We present a study of the spectral properties of photon pairs generated through the process of spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in single mode fiber. Our analysis assumes narrowband pumps, which are allowed to be frequency degenerate or nondegenerate. Based on this analysis, we derive conditions on the pump frequencies and on the fiber dispersion parameters which guarantee the generation of ultrabroadband photon pairs. Such photon pairs are characterized by (i) a very large degree of entanglement, and (ii) a very high degree of temporal synchronization between the signal and idler photons. Through a numerical exercise, we find that the use of photonic crystal fiber (PCF) facilitates the fulfilment of the conditions for ultrabroadband photon pair generation; in particular, the spectral region in which emission occurs can be adjusted to particular needs through an appropriate choice of the PCF parameters. In addition, we present a quantum interference effect, resulting from indistinguishable pathways to the same outcome, which can occur when pumping a SFWM source with multiple spectral lines.
Ultrashort light pulses play an important role in the generation, manipulation and characterization of nonclassical light. Nonclassical light is often generated from a classical pump beam using a nonlinear optical process. One might expect that the high peak intensity of ultrashort pulses would provide the necessary driver for such processes, and this is indeed the case. Ultrashort pulses have been used to generate squeezed states, and quadrature entangled states via three and four wave mixing, photon number states, polarization and frequency or directional entangled photon pairs states via three wave mixing.
We report on a spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) based broadband correlated photon pair generation using a dispersion flattened highly-nonlinear fiber (DF-HNLF). The DF-HNLF is pumped by a stable mode-locked laser (MLL) which generates pump pulses of 250 ps FWHM at a repetition rate of 94.509 MHz. The joint spectral intensity (JSI) data indicates photon pair generation across entire S, C, and L bands. The intrinsic photon pair generation rate, after accounting for spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS), system loss, and detector dark counts, is ≈ 100kHz although due to detection gating limit we measured the rate to be 1 kHz at peak pump power of 70 mW. The use of an arbitrary waveform generator for establishing pump MLL and gating of the single-photon detectors (SPDs) allows for precise synchronization of generation and detection of photon pairs.