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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)

Wavelength Meter on thin Film Lithium Niobate Based on Superconducting Single Photon Detectors

Alessandro Prencipe, Samuel Gyger, Mohammad Amin Baghban, Julien Zichi, Katharina D. Zeuner, Thomas Lettner, Lucas Schweickert, Stephan Steinhauer, Ali W. Elshaari, Katia Gallo, Val Zwiller

Published Jun 26, 2023• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) present significant benefits with respect to tabletop optical systems regarding footprint, stability, and power consumption. Among the materials used to fabricate PICs, thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) is one of the most attractive ones, as its$\chi^{(2)}$nonlinearity and electro-optic properties allow to implement on-chip light generation and routing [1]. On-chip detection of light has also been demonstrated on TFLN, based on the waveguide integration of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) [1]. Combining efficient detectors with TFLN nanophotonic waveguides holds promises for the realization of quantum photonics experiments fully on-chip. On the other hand, the sensitivity of SNSPDs changes with the wavelength of the detected photons [2], setting a boundary to the longest detectable wavelength and limiting the use of the wide transparency window of TFLN. However, this wavelength dependency in the response of SNSPDs can be leveraged to achieve new on-chip functionalities. In this work, by performing a straightforward analysis of the light signal measured at different bias currents [2], we operate hairpin SNSPDs on TFLN as waveguide-integrated wavelength-meters in the telecom bandwidth.

DOI
10.1109/cleo/europe-eqec57999.2023.10232497

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Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) present significant benefits with respect to tabletop optical systems regarding footprint, stability, and power consumption. Among the materials used to fabricate PICs, thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) is one of the most attractive ones, as itsχ(2)\chi^{(2)}χ(2)nonlinearity and electro-optic properties allow to implement on-chip light generation and routing [1]. On-chip detection of light has also been demonstrated on TFLN, based on the waveguide integration of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) [1]. Combining efficient detectors with TFLN nanophotonic waveguides holds promises for the realization of quantum photonics experiments fully on-chip. On the other hand, the sensitivity of SNSPDs changes with the wavelength of the detected photons [2], setting a boundary to the longest detectable wavelength and limiting the use of the wide transparency window of TFLN. However, this wavelength dependency in the response of SNSPDs can be leveraged to achieve new on-chip functionalities. In this work, by performing a straightforward analysis of the light signal measured at different bias currents [2], we operate hairpin SNSPDs on TFLN as waveguide-integrated wavelength-meters in the telecom bandwidth.
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Lithium niobate, because of its nonlinear and electro-optical properties, is one of the materials of choice for photonic applications. The development of nanostructuring capabilities of thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) permits fabrication of small footprint, low-loss optical circuits. With the recent implementation of on-chip single-photon detectors, this architecture is among the most promising for realizing on-chip quantum optics experiments. In this Letter, we report on the implementation of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on NbTiN on 300 nm thick TFLN ridge nano-waveguides. We demonstrate a waveguide-integrated wavelength meter based on the photon energy dependence of the superconducting detectors. The device operates at the telecom C- and L-bands and has a footprint smaller than 300 × 180 μm 2 and critical currents between ∼12 and ∼14 μA, which ensures operation with minimum heat dissipation. Our results hold promise for future densely packed on-chip wavelength-multiplexed quantum communication systems.
We demonstrate waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on thin-film lithium niobate (LN). Using a 250 um-long NbN superconducting nanowire lithographically defined on top of a 125 um-long LN nanowaveguide, on-chip detection efficiency of 46% is realized with simultaneous high performance in dark count rate and timing jitter. As LN possesses high second-order nonlinear \c{hi}(2) and electro-optic properties, an efficient single-photon detector on thin-film LN opens up the possibility to construct small scale fully-integrated quantum photonic chip which includes single-photon sources, filters, tunable quantum gates and detectors.
Here, we demonstrate waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN). Using a 250 μm-long NbN superconducting nanowire lithographically defined on top of a 125 μm-long LN nanowaveguide, an on-chip detection efficiency of 46% is realized with simultaneous high performance in dark count rates and timing jitter. As LN possesses high χ(2) second-order nonlinear and electro-optic properties, an efficient single-photon detector on thin-film LN opens up the possibility to construct a small-scale fully integrated quantum photonic chip, which includes single-photon sources, filters, tunable quantum gates, and detectors.
We demonstrate waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN). Using a 250 μm-long NbN superconducting nanowire lithographically defined on top of a 125 μm-long LN nanowaveguide, an on-chip detection efficiency of 46% is realized with simultaneous high performance in dark count rates and timing jitter. As LN possesses high χ(2) second-order nonlinear and electro-optic properties, an efficient single-photon detector on thin-film LN opens up the possibility to construct a small-scale fully integrated quantum photonic chip, which includes single-photon sources, filters, tunable quantum gates, and detectors.
Lithium Niobate On Insulator (LNOI) has recently emerged as a promising platform for the realization of electro-optically reconfigurable waveguides combining small footprint and ultra-low propagation loss. Integration of these components with superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) opens up the possibility to perform on-chip manipulation and detection of quantum states of light in a physically stable and scalable architecture. Here we report recent theoretical and experimental progress towards the realization of fast electro-optic modulators compatible with cryogenic temperatures and high-performance NbTiN superconducting nanowires single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) monolithically integrated in LNOI waveguides.
Photonic quantum computers are currently one of the primary candidates for fault-tolerant quantum computation. At the heart of the photonic quantum computation lies the strict requirement for suitable quantum sources e.g. high purity, high brightness single photon sources. To build a practical quantum computer, thousands to millions of such sources are required. In this article, we theoretically propose a unique single-photon source design on a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platform co-integrated with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. We show that with a judicial design of single photon source using thin film periodically poled lithium waveguides (PPLN), back-illuminated grating couplers (GCs) and directly bonded or integrated cavity coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) can lead to a simple but practical high efficiency heralded single-photon source using the current fabrication technology. Such a device will eliminate the requirement of out coupling of the generated photons and can lead to a fully integrated solution. The proposed design can be useful for fusion-based quantum computation and for multiplexed single photon sources and also for efficient on-chip generation and detection of squeezed light.