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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Spontaneous photon pair generation at the nanoscale

Maximilian A. Weissflog, Romain Dézert, Vincent Vinel, Sina Saravi, Adrien Borne, Thomas Pertsch, Frank Setzpfandt, Giuseppe Leo

Published Jan 1, 2022• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Subwavelength resonators have recently emerged as promising sources of spontaneous parametric down-conversion. By modeling them with quasi-normal mode expansion, we reveal a nonlinear multimode interaction and assist the design of efficient metasurfaces for quantum technologies.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_si.2022.sw4h.3

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Abstract Among the most prominent effects resulting from nonlinear light–matter interaction is the generation of correlated and entangled photons through various processes, notably via spontaneous parametric down‐conversion or spontaneous four‐wave mixing. Such nonlinear optical processes benefit from the concentration of electromagnetic fields in small volumes. Dielectric nanoresonators and their 2D layouts—metasurfaces—provide efficient ways to control light in subwavelength volumes enabling the enhancement of nonlinear light–matter interaction and the generation of entangled photons. Nanoresonators and metasurfaces offer a radical miniaturization of quantum light sources allowing better scalability, which opens a pathway toward arrangements of photon sources in complex subwavelength configurations for advanced photon state control. In this work, the recent progress in this emergent area of research is reviewed.
Photon-pair sources based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) are the backbone of a vast number of experimental implementations in quantum optics. Sub-wavelength-sized dielectric nanoresonators have recently emerged as a new platform for the implementation of SPDC sources [1] , that promise much potential in generating photons with engineered properties, as these nanoresonators offer a strong control over many parameters of the scattered light (directionality, polarization, …) However, the many degrees of freedom in these highly multi-modal and non-Hermitian systems makes design and formal description of pair-generation challenging.
Tunable photonic quantum entanglement promises to advance information processing beyond classical approaches, facilitating applications in quantum communications, imaging and computing. A practical approach to preparing quantum entanglement at room temperature is to engineer photon-pair generation through spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). Nonlinear flat-optics devices, incorporating subwavelength-thick nonlinear materials, are emerging as new platforms for generating photon pairs at the nanoscale. In particular, nanostructured metasurfaces supporting optical resonances can enhance and tailor SPDC processes, allowing for the generation of spectral, polarization, and spatial entanglement [1]. However, the tunability of polarization entanglement is subject to the symmetry of nonlinear tensors of materials, where the pump photon polarization serves as the only tuning parameter [2].
Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in subwavelength nanostructures is a promising source of quantum light, owing to its multifunctionality and ability to generate complex quantum states. Nevertheless, the mechanisms governing photon-pair generation in such systems remain only partially understood. In particular, experimental investigations of key emission properties in individual resonators, such as directionality and spectral distribution, are still lacking, and predictive theoretical frameworks have not yet been experimentally validated. Here, we report the first measurement of the directional and spectral distributions of photon pairs generated via SPDC in a nanostructured resonator. Both distributions exhibit resonant behaviour, which we describe using an extended quasi-normal-mode theory. This comparison is enabled by photon-pair count rates of up to 0.45 Hz/mW -- to our knowledge, the highest reported for a nanostructured resonator. Our results provide new physical insight into nanoscale SPDC and represent an important step toward designing of efficient miniaturized quantum light sources.