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Nonlinear Optics

Microwave Photonic Crystals for Electro-Optic Quantum Transduction

Yaowen Hu, Mihir Khanna, C. Ligato, Thomas Purdy

Published Jan 1, 2021• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We are building dielectric, centimeter-scale microwave photonic crystal cavi- ties with high Q/V coupled to LiNbO3 nonlinear optical resonators for electro-optic quan-tum transduction.
DOI
10.1364/nlo.2021.nf1a.3

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Achieving efficient microwave–optical transduction is a critical challenge for quantum networks where information is shared optically across disparate microwave systems and for coherent optical detection and manipulation of microwave states. Resonant electro-optic systems are being pursued as a means of efficiently bridging these frequencies. Here, we present a platform that employs a bulk lithium niobate crystal whose large dielectric constant creates wavelength-scale confinement of microwave photons. By incorporating this crystal within a high-finesse Fabry–Pérot optical cavity, microwave photons couple to optical photons through the electro-optic effect. We demonstrate the ability to tune our system into triply resonant operation, where microwave photons, optical pump photons, and upconverted optical photons are simultaneously resonant with high quality factor electromagnetic modes of the system. The device achieves photon-number conversion efficiency at the percent level, comparable to that of state-of-the-art devices at room temperature—sufficient to resolve the thermal occupation of the microwave mode—by taking advantage of the high-power handling, low loss, and low noise of all-dielectric devices. These results establish our all-dielectric devices as a promising platform for high-precision sensing of optically detected microwave fields and as a viable route toward single-photon-level microwave–optical quantum transduction.
We present a resonant electro-optic transducer for efficient conversion between microwave and telecom wavelength photons. Our platform employs a bulk lithium niobate crystal whose large dielectric constant creates wavelength-scale confinement of microwave photons. By incorporating this crystal within a high-finesse Fabry - Perot optical cavity, microwave photons couple to optical photons through the electro-optic effect. We demonstrate the ability to tune our system into triply resonant operation, where microwave photons, optical pump photons, and upconverted optical photons are simultaneously resonant with high quality factor electromagnetic modes of the system. The device achieves photon number conversion efficiency at the percent level, comparable to state-of-the-art devices at room temperature -- sufficient to resolve the thermal occupation of the microwave mode -- while avoiding the noise and loss associated with metal electrodes. These results establish our all-dielectric devices as a promising platform for high-precision sensing of optically detected microwave fields and as a viable route toward single-photon-level microwave - optical quantum transduction.
Microwave dielectric properties of LiNbO3_{\mathbf{3}}3​ and AlN at millikelvin temperatures and single-photon power
Efficient bidirectional microwave-optical photon conversion is a key capability for scaling superconducting quantum processors into distributed networks. However, achieving the necessary conversion efficiency requires filling a critical knowledge gap in understanding the loss mechanisms of electro-optic materials. Here, we characterize the microwave properties of single-crystal bulk LiNbO3 and AlN over a broad range of powers, down to single-photon levels, and spanning from millikelvin temperatures to above 1 K. We demonstrate that both materials exhibit two-level systems (TLS) behavior, while piezoelectric-related losses are excluded. We show that TLS-induced dissipation is predominantly localized on the surface rather than being an intrinsic bulk property, a result further corroborated by room-temperature 3D XPS and time-of-flight SIMS analyses. These findings provide useful insights to engineer hybrid architectures that integrate bulk electro-optic crystals within superconducting cavities, proving that microwave quality factors compatible with high-efficiency microwave-optical transduction are within reach.