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

Developing Zn-Indiffused MgO-Doped PPLN Ridge Waveguides for Type-II Telecom Photon Pair Production

Peter Iveson, Goronwy L. Tawy, Glenn M. Churchill, Paolo L. Mennea, Rex H. S. Bannerman, Lewis D. Wright, Peter G. R. Smith, James C. Gates, Corin B. E. Gawith

Published Jun 23, 2025• 0 citations

Abstract

Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) presents a convenient method of producing highly correlated heralded entangled photon pairs for quantum applications and networking. Of particular interest is Type-II SPDC, where signal and idler photons possess orthogonal polarisations, permitting straightforward entanglement in the useful polarisation basis. To the best of our knowledge, this has hitherto not been demonstrated in Zn-indiffused MgO:PPLN ridge waveguides, which offer excellent mode matching to standard telecoms fibers [1]. A particular difficulty in achieving SPDC in waveguides is to establish optimal phase-matching conditions. A common approach [2] is to perform standard SHG from the target SPDC wavelength first, leveraging the greater conversion efficiencies available in this regime. For example, in this work we target generation of Type-II SPDC photon pairs at 1310nm telecoms wavelengths suited to long-distance quantum networking protocols such as quantum key distribution [3], prompting initial testing of phase matching conditions via Type-II SHG.

DOI: 10.1109/cleo/europe-eqec65582.2025.11110630

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Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) presents a convenient method of producing highly correlated heralded entangled photon pairs for quantum applications and networking. Of particular interest is Type-II SPDC, where signal and idler photons possess orthogonal polarisations, permitting straightforward entanglement in the useful polarisation basis. To the best of our knowledge, this has hitherto not been demonstrated in Zn-indiffused MgO:PPLN ridge waveguides, which offer excellent mode matching to standard telecoms fibers [1]. A particular difficulty in achieving SPDC in waveguides is to establish optimal phase-matching conditions. A common approach [2] is to perform standard SHG from the target SPDC wavelength first, leveraging the greater conversion efficiencies available in this regime. For example, in this work we target generation of Type-II SPDC photon pairs at 1310nm telecoms wavelengths suited to long-distance quantum networking protocols such as quantum key distribution [3], prompting initial testing of phase matching conditions via Type-II SHG.

We demonstrate a spectrally correlated photon-pair source at telecom wavelengths (spanning across the S-, C-, and L-bands), based on type-0 spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) in a fiber-coupled Zn-indiffused MgO doped periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) ridge waveguide. Modal analysis of the waveguide performed through numerical finite element method (FEM) simulation indicates that device temperature can be used to dramatically vary and control the emission spectrum. Efficient photon-pair generation is measured over a broad wavelength range from ∼1520 − 1580 nm [full width at half maximum (FWHM) > 45 nm] with a coincidence-to-accidental ratio (CAR) as high as ∼668 and spectral brightness ∼2.5 × 10 7 pairs/s/mW/nm. Such sources can be employed in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) quantum key distribution (QKD) over existing fiber-optic networks.

We report a fibre-integrated heralded single-photon source based on a commercial Zn-indiffused MgO:PPLN ridge waveguide operated in Type-0 degenerate spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). The device emits a broadband spectrum spanning approximately 70 nm across the telecom C-and L-bands, with an absolute brightness of

9.1\times 10^{9}

pairs/(s mW). After accounting for optical losses, we determine an internal heralding efficiency of 58(5)%. The source maintains high purity, exhibiting a coincidences-to-accidentals ratio exceeding

9\times 10^{4}

and a heralded second-order correlation of

g_{\text{h}}^{(2)}(0) = (5.53 \pm 0.46)\times 10^{-4}

. Low multi-photon noise and broadband emission demonstrate the viability of such platforms for wavelength-multiplexed quantum networking.

We demonstrate a fully fibre-integrated source of broadband polarisation-entangled photon pairs at telecom wavelengths based on a commercially available Zn-indiffused MgO:PPLN ridge waveguide incorporated within a Sagnac interferometer. Operating across the full degenerate SPDC spectrum using pump-suppression filtering only, the source exhibits a measured bandwidth of approximately 67 nm. Strong non-classical correlations are observed, with an average two-photon interference visibility of 96.9 +/- 0.2 %, a fidelity to the Phi + Bell state of 78.1 %, and a CHSH Bell parameter of S = 2.501 +/- 0.005. We further explore the effect of increasing source brightness on Bell-state performance, revealing the limitations of accidental-corrected metrics in high-flux operating regimes.

Generation of entangled photon pairs at telecom wavelength has been garnering a growing interest in the context of quantum communications and quantum computing. Several generation techniques have been proposed, including spontaneous Four-Wave Mixing in resonators or Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC) in Periodically Polled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) waveguides. Large photon pair efficiencies have been demonstrated in particular in PPLN on insulator [3]. However, polarization entangled photon pair generation (Type II phase matching configuration) suffers from a less favourable non-linear coefficient and optical mode birefringence in PPLN.

Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in nonlinear crystals is the most commonly used means to generate single photon pairs for quantum key distribution systems [1]. By using waveguides instead of bulk crystals, highly efficient devices can be obtained. Both, type-I and type-II phase-matched integrated devices have been demonstrated in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) [2–4]. Although the type-II process is less efficient, it has two favourable properties: the spectrum of down-converted photons is narrower compared to type-I and orthogonally polarised photons are emitted.

The study, reliable generation, and application of spectral and polarization-correlated biphotons is a widely researched area in the field of quantum technology. In this Letter, we report a bright narrowband source of spectral and polarization-correlated orthogonal photon-pairs around the telecom wavelength of 1560 nm from a fiber-pigtailed, type-II quasi-phase-matched, MgO-doped periodically poled lithium niobate (MgO:ppLN) ridge waveguide. We achieved a high spectral brightness of ∼5×10 6 photon pairs/s/mW/nm with a coincidence-to-accidental ratio (CAR) value of ∼427 and an emission bandwidth of ∼2.4 nm. Owing to its compact and narrowband nature, this source can reliably be used in commercial quantum communication systems for long-distance transmissions. The generation of such high rates of correlated orthogonal twin photons from a fully guided type-II SPDC-based source has not been thoroughly investigated to the best of our knowledge.