Physical Review Applied
Visible-band polarization-entangled photon source by quantum frequency transduction
Renhui Chen, Sujian Niu, Zheng Ge, Zhao-Qi-Zhi Han, Xiao-Hua Wang, Hai Chang Jiang, Zhi‐Yuan Zhou, Bao-Sen Shi
Abstract
Visible-band polarization-entangled photon sources (VBPEPSs) are preferred in quantum microscopy, imaging, and light-matter interactions with solid-state quantum memories, $\mathrm{N}$-$V$ centers, and trapped ions. They can be generated directly via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. However, that requires a high-power deep-ultraviolet pump laser. Additionally, the required ultraviolet-band nonlinear crystal is inefficient compared to periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate or periodically poled lithium niobate crystals. The quantum frequency transduction of a near-infrared polarization-entangled photon source (NIPEPS) provides an effective way to overcome the drawbacks of direct generation. We demonstrate 634-nm VBPEPS generation via polarization-independent frequency transduction of 1080-nm NIPEPS. High-quality entanglement in the visible band is verified via two-photon polarization interference, Bell-inequality, and quantum-state tomography. This method could be applied to other visible wavelengths or be extended to the ultraviolet, which is difficult to generate directly. It has promising applications in quantum imaging, networks, and spectroscopy.