Two-photon Quantum Interference and Entanglement at 2 μm

Abstract

Quantum-enhanced optical systems operating within the 2- to 2.5-$\mu$m spectral region have the potential to revolutionize emerging applications in communications, sensing, and metrology. However, to date, sources of entangled photons have been realized mainly in the near-infrared 700- to 1550-nm spectral window. Here, using custom-designed lithium niobate crystals for spontaneous parametric down-conversion and tailored superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, we demonstrate two-photon interference and polarization-entangled photon pairs at 2090 nm. These results open the 2- to 2.5-$\mu$m mid-infrared window for the development of optical quantum technologies such as quantum key distribution in next-generation mid-infrared fiber communication systems and future Earth-to-satellite communications.

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Cited by in corpus (17)

• Advances in Space Quantum Communications
• Entangled Photon-Pair Sources based on three-wave mixing in bulk crystals
• Single-photon detection in the mid-infrared up to 10 micron wavelength using tungsten silicide superconducting nanowire detectors
• Mid-infrared quantum optics in silicon
• Quantum interferometers: principles and applications
• Optimized design of the lithium niobate for spectrally-pure-state generation at MIR wavelengths using metaheuristic algorithm
• Mid-infrared spectrally-uncorrelated biphotons generation from doped PPLN: a theoretical investigation
• Entanglement-Assisted Quantum Chiral Spectroscopy
• A silicon source of heralded single photons at 2 $\mu$m
• Design of mid-infrared entangled photon sources using lithium niobate
• Near-maximal two-photon entanglement for quantum communications at 2.1 $\mu$m
• Generation of entangled photons via parametric down-conversion in semiconductor lasers and integrated quantum photonic systems
• Polarization Purity and Dispersion Characteristics of Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Hollow-Core Optical Fiber at Near- and Short-wave-IR Wavelengths for Quantum Communications
• Mid-infrared spectrally-pure single-photon states generation from 22 nonlinear optical crystals
• Optimized Spectral Purity of Heralded Single Photons at the Telecom O-Band
• Mid-infrared pure-state quantum light source based on lithium niobate waveguides
• Looking for optimal materials for whispering gallery modes applications at the 2 $\mu$m window