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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Highly efficient frequency conversion with bandwidth compression of quantum light

Markus Allgaier, Vahid Ansari, Linda Sansoni, Christof Eigner, Viktor Quiring, Raimund Ricken, Georg Harder, Benjamin Brecht, Christine Silberhorn

Published Jan 1, 2017• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate an engineered sum-frequency-conversion process in lithium nio-bate that provides a bandwidth compression factor of 7.47 at a high efficiency of 61.5 %, thus outperforming spectral filtering. The process preserves non-classical photon-number statistics.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_qels.2017.ftu4d.5

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•Aug 3, 2016•0 citations
Hybrid quantum networks rely on efficient interfacing of dissimilar quantum nodes, as elements based on parametric downconversion sources, quantum dots, colour centres or atoms are fundamentally different in their frequencies and bandwidths. Although pulse manipulation has been demonstrated in very different systems, to date no interface exists that provides both an efficient bandwidth compression and a substantial frequency translation at the same time. Here we demonstrate an engineered sum-frequency-conversion process in lithium niobate that achieves both goals. We convert pure photons at telecom wavelengths to the visible range while compressing the bandwidth by a factor of 7.47 under preservation of non-classical photon-number statistics. We achieve internal conversion efficiencies of 61.5%, significantly outperforming spectral filtering for bandwidth compression. Our system thus makes the connection between previously incompatible quantum systems as a step towards usable quantum networks.
For the realization of a hybrid quantum network, an efficient spectral mode matching between dissimilar photon sources is quintessential. With nonlinear frequency conversion it has already been shown it is possible to match central frequencies [1], but not spectral bandwidth. Previous experiments relied on passive filtering for bandwidth matching [2], [3] and were suffering from too high loss rates to allow for an efficient information transfer and processing between different quantum light sources. Promising results in spectral bandwidth conversion of quantum light have been shown by a phase-only reshaping approach using electro-optic time lensing [4], [5]. In close analogy to a thin lens in space, first a quadratic spectral phaseϕ\phiϕis applied, followed by, an again quadratic, temporal phaseφ\varphiφ. By choosing the right collimation condition,ϕ=φ−1\phi=\varphi^{-1}ϕ=φ−1, compression (or expansion) is achieved in spectral width [6]. By this active reshaping of the spectral-temporal wave packet, for a quantum light source in telecom wavelength a compression factor of about 50 has already been shown [5].
We demonstrate low-noise and efficient frequency conversion by sum-frequency mixing in a periodically poled LiNbO(3) (PPLN) waveguide. Using a 1556 nm pump, 1302 nm photons are efficiently converted to 709 nm photons. We obtain 70% conversion efficiency in the PPLN waveguide and >50% external conversion efficiency with 600 noise counts per second at peak conversion with continuous-wave pumping. We simultaneously achieve low noise and high conversion efficiency by careful spectral filtering. We discuss the impact of low-noise frequency translation on single-photon upconversion detection and quantum information applications.
We experimentally demonstrate that the bandwidth of single photons laser pulse is compressed by a factor of 58 in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide chip. A positively chirped single photons laser pulse and a negatively chirped classical laser pulse are employed to produce a narrowband single photon pulse with new frequency through sum-frequency generation. In our experiment, the frequency and bandwidth of single photons at 1550 nm are simultaneously converted. Our results mark a critical step towards the realization of coherent photonic interface between quantum communication at 1550 nm and quantum memory in the near-visible window.
Spectral-temporal manipulation of optical pulses has enabled numerous developments within a broad range of research topics, ranging from fundamental science to practical applications. Within quantum optics spectral-temporal degree of freedom of light offers a promising platform for integrated photonic quantum information processing. An important challenge in experimentally realizing spectral-temporal manipulation of quantum states of light is the need for highly efficient manipulation tools. In this context the intrinsically deterministic electro-optic methods show great promise for quantum applications. We experimentally demonstrate application of electro-optic platform for spectral-temporal manipulation of ultrashort pulsed quantum light. Using techniques analogous to serrodyne frequency shifting we show active spectral translation of few-picosecond single photon pulses by up to 0.5 THz. By employing an approach based on an electro-optic time lens we demonstrate up to 6-fold spectral compression of heralded single photon pulses with efficiency that enables us to significantly increase single photon flux through a narrow bandpass filter. We realize the required temporal phase manipulation by driving a lithium niobate waveguided electrooptic modulator with 33 dBm sinusoidal RF field at the frequency of either 10 GHz or 40 GHz. We use a phase lock loop to temporally lock the RF field to the 80 MHz repetition rate of approximately 1 ps long optical pulses. Heralded single photon wavepackets are generated by means of spontaneous parametric down-conversion in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal, which enables preparation of spectrally pure single photon wavepackets without the need for spectral filtering. Spectral shifting is achieved by locking single-photon pulses to the linear slope of sinusoidal 40 GHz RF phase modulation. We verify the spectral shift by performing spectrally resolved heralded single photon counting, using frequency-to-time conversion by means of a highly dispersive chirped fiber Bragg grating. We verify the non-classicality of spectrally shifted single photons by measuring high-visibility Hong-Ou-Mandel interference using a reference single photon pulse. Spectral compression is based on the time lens principle, which requires locking optical pulses to approximately quadratic region of sinusoidal phase modulation. We utilize both 10 GHz and 40 GHz RF driving frequencies. Bandwidth compression is achieved by chirping the single photon pulse using an appropriate length of single-mode fibre and subsequently subjecting it to the action of the time lens. We verify spectral compression directly using the aforementioned spectrally-resolved heralded single photon counting method. We achieve 3-fold spectral compression of 2 nm bandwidth single photon pulses using 40 GHZ modulation frequency, and 6-fold spectral compression of 0.9 nm bandwidth single photon pulses using 10 GHz modulation frequency. Overall transmission of our set-up exceeding 30% enables practical usability of our spectral compression method which we demonstrate experimentally by showing an increased photon flux through a narrowband filter. Our results present an important contribution towards implementing quantum information processing in the spectral-temporal degree of freedom of a photon. In the context of quantum networks they present an enabling tool towards efficient photonic interfacing of different quantum information processing platforms.