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Nanophotonics

Nanodomain poling unlocking backward nonlinear light generation in thin film lithium niobate

Alessandra Sabatti, Jost Kellner, Robert J. Chapman, Rachel Grange

Published Dec 1, 2025• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Nonlinear frequency conversion offers powerful capabilities for applications in telecommunications, signal processing, and computing. Thin‐film lithium niobate (TFLN) has emerged as a promising integrated photonics platform due to its strong electro‐optic effect and second‐order nonlinearity, which can be exploited through periodic poling. However, conventional poling techniques in x‐cut TFLN are constrained to minimum period sizes on the order of microns, restricting access to highly phase‐mismatched interactions such as counter‐ and backward‐propagating frequency conversion. In this work, we demonstrate scalable periodic poling of x‐cut TFLN with domains periods as short as 215 nm and realize devices that support both counter‐ and back‐propagating phase matching. We estimate conversion efficiencies of 1,474 %/W/cm 2 and 45 %/W/cm 2 for the two interaction types, respectively. Sum frequency generation measurements confirm that the nonlinear generation takes place in the desired direction. Furthermore, we report spontaneous parametric down conversion for the counter‐propagating configuration and, for the first time, for a backward propagating device. This breakthrough provides unprecedented control over engineering of ferroelectric domain geometries in TFLN, leading into the generation of photon pairs with precisely tailored spatial and spectral characteristics. Such capabilities hold strong potential for advancing quantum signal processing, scalable quantum computing architectures, and precision quantum metrology.

DOI
10.1515/nanoph-2025-0429

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Nonlinear frequency conversion offers powerful capabilities for applications in telecommunications, signal processing, and computing. Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) has emerged as a promising integrated photonics platform due to its strong electro-optic effect and second-order nonlinearity, which can be exploited through periodic poling. However, conventional poling techniques in x-cut TFLN are constrained to minimum period sizes on the order of microns, restricting access to highly phase-mismatched interactions such as counter- and backward-propagating frequency conversion. In this work, we demonstrate scalable periodic poling of x-cut TFLN with domains periods as short as 215 nm and realize devices that support both counter- and back-propagating phase matching. We estimate conversion efficiencies of 1,474 %/W/cm2 and 45 %/W/cm2 for the two interaction types, respectively. Sum frequency generation measurements confirm that the nonlinear generation takes place in the desired direction. Furthermore, we report spontaneous parametric down conversion for the counter-propagating configuration and, for the first time, for a backward propagating device. This breakthrough provides unprecedented control over engineering of ferroelectric domain geometries in TFLN, leading into the generation of photon pairs with precisely tailored spatial and spectral characteristics. Such capabilities hold strong potential for advancing quantum signal processing, scalable quantum computing architectures, and precision quantum metrology.

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Abstract Nonlinear frequency conversion offers powerful capabilities for applications in telecommunications, signal processing, and computing. Thin‐film lithium niobate (TFLN) has emerged as a promising integrated photonics platform due to its strong electro‐optic effect and second‐order nonlinearity, which can be exploited through periodic poling. However, conventional poling techniques in x‐cut TFLN are constrained to minimum period sizes on the order of microns, restricting access to highly phase‐mismatched interactions such as counter‐ and backward‐propagating frequency conversion. In this work, we demonstrate scalable periodic poling of x‐cut TFLN with domains periods as short as 215 nm and realize devices that support both counter‐ and back‐propagating phase matching. We estimate conversion efficiencies of 1,474 %/W/cm 2 and 45 %/W/cm 2 for the two interaction types, respectively. Sum frequency generation measurements confirm that the nonlinear generation takes place in the desired direction. Furthermore, we report spontaneous parametric down conversion for the counter‐propagating configuration and, for the first time, for a backward propagating device. This breakthrough provides unprecedented control over engineering of ferroelectric domain geometries in TFLN, leading into the generation of photon pairs with precisely tailored spatial and spectral characteristics. Such capabilities hold strong potential for advancing quantum signal processing, scalable quantum computing architectures, and precision quantum metrology.
Nonlinear frequency conversion offers powerful capabilities for applications in telecommunications, signal processing, and computing. Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) has emerged as a promising integrated photonics platform due to its strong electro-optic effect and second-order nonlinearity, which can be exploited through periodic poling. However, conventional poling techniques in x-cut TFLN are constrained to minimum period sizes on the order of microns, restricting access to highly phase-mismatched interactions such as counter- and backward-propagating frequency conversion. In this work, we demonstrate scalable periodic poling of x-cut TFLN with domains periods as short as 215 nm and realize devices that support both counter- and back-propagating phase matching. We estimate conversion efficiencies of 1,474 %/W/cm2 and 45 %/W/cm2 for the two interaction types, respectively. Sum frequency generation measurements confirm that the nonlinear generation takes place in the desired direction. Furthermore, we report spontaneous parametric down conversion for the counter-propagating configuration and, for the first time, for a backward propagating device. This breakthrough provides unprecedented control over engineering of ferroelectric domain geometries in TFLN, leading into the generation of photon pairs with precisely tailored spatial and spectral characteristics. Such capabilities hold strong potential for advancing quantum signal processing, scalable quantum computing architectures, and precision quantum metrology.
Within the last decade, thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) has emerged as a leading integrated photonics platform with immediate applications in classical communications. Concurrently, TFLN components tailored to the requirements of photonic quantum information processing have also garnered considerable interest. Chief among these is the quasi-phase matched (QPM) nonlinear frequency mixer—implemented via periodic domain inversion in ferroelectric lithium niobate—which can be used to generate photon pairs, squeezed states of light, and to perform single photon frequency conversion. Here, we demonstrate progress towards realizing a spectrally separable photon pair source in lithium niobate via waveguide dispersion engineering—a technique uniquely enabled by sub-wavelength optical mode confinement in the thin-film platform. Subsequently, we design optimize a scalable fabrication process to produce QPM TFLN devices for applications that require strict adherence to a specified operating wavelength, such as quantum frequency conversion in a quantum communications network. Finally, we explore how high-performance electro-optic devices can be combined with these nonlinear optical devices to realize a multi-functional platform in which quantum states of light can be generated and manipulated within a single, compact photonic integrated circuit.
High-fidelity periodic poling of thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) waveguides is critical for robust, quasi-phase-matched three-wave mixing process such as second-harmonic generation and spontaneous parametric down conversion. Over the past decade, extensive research has been performed on design and fabrication of TFLN based optical waveguides, demonstrating high-performance electro-optic modulators, efficient wavelength converters and revealing their great potentials in heterogeneous integration with the conventional silicon photonic material platform. However, studies on poling of TFLN are still lacking, and uniformity of TFLN poling needs to be further improved, to achieve a comparable conversion efficiency as in its bulk counterparts. This dissertation discusses evaluation and optimization of TFLN poling, waveguide design, and device demonstration through characterization of efficient second-harmonic generation and high-quality entangled photon-pair generation. The results presented here indicate promising applications for robust and efficient TFLN devices in nonlinear and quantum optics in the telecommunications regime.
Abstract Periodically poled thin‐film lithium niobate (TFLN) waveguides, which enable efficient quadratic nonlinear processes, serve as crucial foundation for classical and quantum signal processing. To expand their application scope, the first investigation of nonlinear conversion processes in periodically poled TFLN waveguides at cryogenic conditions (7 K) is provided. Through systematic experimental characterization, it is found that the periodically poled TFLN waveguide retains its high conversion efficiency at both cryogenic and room temperatures for both classical second‐harmonic generation and quantum photon‐pair generation processes. Particularly, the photon‐pair source at cryogenic conditions shows high brightness (≈8 MHz µW−1) and broad bandwidth (>100 THz). These results demonstrate the significant potential of TFLN wavelength conversion devices for cryogenic applications and foster future scalable quantum photonic systems.
Spontaneous parametric down conversion in nonlinear material is widely exploited to generate entangled photon pairs in quantum optics experiments and applications, including quantum computing and communication. Periodically poled thin film lithium niobate (PPTFLN) has emerged as a promising platform for efficient entangled photon pair generation, offering enhanced nonlinear interaction through quasi-phase matching (QPM) and tight confinement of light. However, achieving optimal performance requires careful control of the QPM condition since the waveguide in TFLN is highly dispersive to changes in the geometric parameter. In this study, we fabricate PPTFLN rib waveguides to generate entangled photon pairs at telecommunication wavelengths, varying geometric parameters. QPM condition is confirmed with the second harmonic generation experiments and Pair generation rate and coincidence-to-accidental count ratio are also estimated by temporal coincidence measurement. Digital etching process is introduced to control the QPM condition, resulting in incremental peak wavelength shift by discrete etching step. This is expected to contribute to synchronizing wavelength of quantum nodes.
Efficient generation of high-quality photon pairs is essential for modern quantum technologies. Micro-ring resonator is an ideal platform for studying on-chip photon sources due to strong nonlinear effect, resonant-enhanced optical fields, and high integration. Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) micro-ring resonators with periodically poled quasi-phase matching have shown high-quality photon pair generation. However, periodic poling technology remains expensive and requires complex fabrication hindering its scalability and capability for practical application in nonlinear photonic devices. To address this, we propose a scalable approach using TFLN micro-ring resonators based on modal phase matching to achieve cost-effective, efficient high-quality photon pair generation, significantly simplifying fabrication. We achieved pair generation rates up to 40.2 MHz/mW through spontaneous parametric down-conversion, with coincidence-to-accidental ratios exceeding 1,200. By combining micro-ring resonance enhancement with modal phase matching, our approach reduces device size and fabrication cost while maintaining high nonlinear efficiency. These results advance the development of compact, efficient on-chip photon sources for next-generation nonlinear and quantum photonic applications.