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Communications in Theoretical Physics

Biphoton Hofstadter’s butterfly and entanglement engineering in a synthetic photonic lattice

Qinglong Qiu, Donghao Wang, Liangliang Lu

Published Aug 19, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Based on a coupled resonator array, we theoretically construct and numerically simulate a nonlinear quantum optics platform to dynamically control the Bloch wavevector. By scanning the modulation parameters ( α , k y ), we reproduce the Hofstadter’s butterfly structure in the biphoton energy spectrum and reveal clear correspondences among the eigenenergy spectrum, transmission spectrum, and biphoton joint spectral intensity (JSI). Further research demonstrates that screening the pump wavelength can effectively tailor the JSI profile and the Schmidt number of the quantum state, enabling flexible manipulation of frequency entanglement characteristics. This work provides a theoretical framework for exploring quantum state generation and manipulation in nonlinear topological photonic systems and demonstrates the potential for realizing programmable quantum light sources in integrated quantum photonic circuits.

DOI
10.1088/1572-9494/ae9b85

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Abstract Based on a coupled resonator array, we theoretically construct and numerically simulate a nonlinear quantum optics platform to dynamically control the Bloch wavevector. By scanning the modulation parameters ( α , k y ), we reproduce the Hofstadter’s butterfly structure in the biphoton energy spectrum and reveal clear correspondences among the eigenenergy spectrum, transmission spectrum, and biphoton joint spectral intensity (JSI). Further research demonstrates that screening the pump wavelength can effectively tailor the JSI profile and the Schmidt number of the quantum state, enabling flexible manipulation of frequency entanglement characteristics. This work provides a theoretical framework for exploring quantum state generation and manipulation in nonlinear topological photonic systems and demonstrates the potential for realizing programmable quantum light sources in integrated quantum photonic circuits.
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Generation and control of entanglement are fundamental tasks in quantum information. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to generating controllable frequency-entangled photons using the concept of synthetic frequency dimension in an optical system. This system consists of a ring resonator made of tailored third-order nonlinear media to induce photon-photon interactions and a periodic modulator to manipulate coupling between different frequency modes. We show that this system provides a unique platform for the exploration of distinct few- or many-body quantum phases including chaos, localization, and integrability in a highly integrable photonics platform. In particular, we develop a proposal to calculate the spectral form factor, which characterizes the degree of chaos in the system and differentiates between these phases based on observable measurements. Then, the switching of the quench dynamics from an intermediate phase between integrable and chaotic to the Stark many-body phase can generate and sustain stable frequency-entangled multiphoton states. This work is the first to explore rich and controllable quantum phases beyond single-particle physics in a synthetic dimension.
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Precise manipulation of the time–frequency modes of entangled photons is crucial for future quantum science and technologies. Recently, the frequency-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (FD-QOS) method was demonstrated by creating a superposition of different joint temporal amplitudes: those temporal distributions can be controlled by manipulating the joint spectral amplitude in 2D frequency space via a Fourier optical relation. This FD-QOS method provides an efficient, flexible, and easy-to-control way to precisely modulate the temporal distributions of the entangled photon in an ultrafast region. However, manipulation of only the temporal modes is not sufficient for various applications in quantum information, since spectral modulations are also needed on many occasions. Here, we present a proof-of-concept experiment of two-photon spectral modulation via temporal manipulation of a biphoton wave packet. This protocol, called time-domain-quantum-optical-synthesis (TD-QOS), is achieved by adjusting the relative phases between two joint temporal distributions. In addition, the two-photon joint spectral distributions are characterized by measuring the joint spectral intensities and Hong–Ou–Mandel interferences. The combination of FD-QOS and TD-QOS enables complete control over the biphoton states. Our work would further develop quantum technologies that rely on the time–frequency modes of entangled photons.
Synthetic frequency dimension offers a powerful approach to simulate lattice models and control photon dynamics. However, extending this concept into the quantum regime, particularly at the single-photon level, has remained challenging in photonic platforms. Here, we demonstrate quantum-state initialization and detection of single-photon evolutions within a synthetic frequency lattice by integrating a superconducting qubit with a 16-meter aluminum coaxial cable. A tunable superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-based modulator is employed to synthesize lattice couplings and artificial gauge fields. We observe single-photon quantum random walks and Bloch oscillations, as well as nonadiabatic, unidirectional frequency conversion under rapid temporal modulation of the lattice Hamiltonian, together with band-structure measurements. The lattice connectivity can be readily reconfigured to construct higher-dimensional lattices using multiple drive tones. Our results establish superconducting quantum circuits as a versatile platform for programmable Hamiltonians and extensible synthetic lattices with flexible single-photon control.