Numerical analysis of the ultra-wide tunability of nanofiber Bragg cavities.

Nanofiber Bragg cavities (NFBCs) are solid-state microcavities fabricated in optical tapered fiber. They can be tuned to a resonance wavelength of more than 20 nm by applying mechanical tension. This property is important for matching the resonance wavelength of an NFBC with the emission wavelength of single-photon emitters. However, the mechanism of the ultra-wide tunability and the limitation of the tuning range have not yet been clarified. It is important to comprehensively analyze both the deformation of the cavity structure in an NFBC and the change in the optical properties due to the deformation. Here, we present an analysis of the ultra-wide tunability of an NFBC and the limitation of the tuning range using three dimensional (3D) finite element method (FEM) and 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical simulations. When we applied a tensile force of 200 µN to the NFBC, a stress of 5.18 GPa was concentrated at the groove in the grating. The grating period was extended from 300 to 313.2 nm, while the diameter slightly shrank from 300 to 297.1 nm in the direction of the grooves and from 300 to 298 nm in the direction orthogonal to the grooves. This deformation shifted the resonance peak by 21.5 nm. These simulations indicated that both the elongation of the grating period and the small shrinkage of the diameter contributed to the ultra-wide tunability of the NFBC. We also calculated the dependence of the stress at the groove, the resonance wavelength, and the quality Q factor while changing the total elongation of the NFBC. The dependence of the stress on the elongation was 1.68 × 10-2 GPa/µm. The dependence of the resonance wavelength was 0.07 nm/µm, which almost agrees with the experimental result. When the NFBC, assumed to have the total length of 32 mm, was stretched by 380 µm with the tensile force of 250 µN, the Q factor for the polarization mode parallel to the groove changed from 535 to 443, which corresponded to a change in Purcell factor from 5.3 to 4.9. This slight reduction seems acceptable for the application as single photon sources. Furthermore, assuming a rupture strain of the nanofiber of 10 GPa, it was estimated that the resonance peak could be shifted by up to about 42 nm.

Non-collinear generation of ultra-broadband parametric fluorescence photon pairs using chirped quasi-phase matching slab waveguides.

Many optical quantum applications rely on broadband frequency correlated photon pair sources. We previously reported a scheme for collinear emission of high-efficiency and ultra-broadband photon pairs using chirped quasi-phase matching (QPM) periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate (PPSLT) ridge waveguides. However, collinearly emitted photon pairs cannot be directly adopted for applications that are based on two-photon interference, such as quantum optical coherence tomography (QOCT). In this work, we developed a chirped QPM device with a slab waveguide structure. This device was designed to produce spatially separable (photon pair non-collinear emission) parametric fluorescence photon pairs with an ultra-broadband bandwidth in an extremely efficient manner. Using a non-chirped QPM slab waveguide, we observed a photon pair spectrum with a full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) bandwidth of 26 nm. When using a 3% chirped QPM slab waveguide, the FWHM bandwidth of the spectrum increased to 190 nm, and the base-to-base width is 308 nm. We also confirmed a generation efficiency of 2.4×106 pairs/(µW·s) using the non-chirped device, and a efficiency of 8×105 pairs/(µW·s) using the 3% chirped device under non-collinear emission conditions after single-mode fiber coupling. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of frequency correlated photon pairs generation using slab waveguide device as a source. In addition, using slab waveguides as photon pair sources, we performed two-photon interference experiments with the non-chirped device and obtained a Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) dip with a FWHM of 7.7 µm and visibility of 98%. When using the 3% chirped device as photon pair source, the HOM measurement gave a 2 µm FWHM dip and 74% visibility.

Quantum Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in the fingerprint region.

Infrared quantum absorption spectroscopy is one of the quantum sensing techniques, by which the infrared optical properties of a sample can be estimated through visible or near infrared photon detection without need for infrared optical source or detector, which has been an obstacle for higher sensitivity and spectrometer miniaturization. However, experimental demonstrations have been limited to wavelengths shorter than 5 µm or in the terahertz region, and have not been realized in the so-called fingerprint region of 1500-500 cm-1 (6.6 to 20 µm), which is commonly used to identify chemical compounds or molecules. Here we report the experimental demonstration of quantum Fourier-transform infrared (QFTIR) spectroscopy in the fingerprint region, by which both absorption and phase spectra (complex spectra) can be obtained from Fourier transformed quantum interferograms obtained with a single pixel visible-light detector. As demonstrations, we obtained the transmittance spectrum of a silicon wafer at around 10 µm (1000 cm-1) and complex transmittance spectrum of a synthetic fluoropolymer sheet, polytetrafluoroethylene, in the wavelength range of 8 to 10.5 µm (1250 to 950 cm-1), where absorption due to stretching modes of C-F bonds is clearly observed. These results open the way for new forms of spectroscopic devices based on quantum technologies.

High-depth-resolution imaging of dispersive samples using quantum optical coherence tomography.

Quantum optical coherence tomography (QOCT) is a promising approach to overcome the degradation of the resolution in optical coherence tomography (OCT) due to dispersion. Here, we report on an experimental demonstration of QOCT imaging in the high-resolution regime. We achieved a depth resolution of 2.5 µm, which is the highest value for QOCT imaging, to the best of our knowledge. We show that the QOCT image of a dispersive material remains clear whereas the OCT image is drastically degraded.

Efficient generation of ultra-broadband parametric fluorescence using chirped quasi-phase-matched waveguide devices.

We present a highly efficient photon pair source using chirped quasi-phase-matched (QPM) devices with a ridge waveguide structure. We developed QPM waveguide devices with chirp rates of 3% and 6.7%. Spectrum measurements reveal that the generated photons have bandwidths of 229 nm and 325 nm in full width at half maximum (FWHM), alternatively, 418 nm and 428 nm in base-to-base width for the 3% and 6.7% chirped devices, respectively, which are much broader than the bandwidth of 16 nm in FWHM observed with a non-chirp device. We also evaluate the generation efficiency of photon pairs from coincidence measurements using two superconducting single photon detectors (SSPDs). The estimated generation efficiencies of photon pairs were 2.7 × 106 pairs/s·µW and 1.2 × 106 pairs/s·µW for the 3% and 6.7% chirped devices, respectively, which are comparable to the generation efficiency for the non-chirp device of 2.7 × 106 pairs/s·µW. We also measured the frequency correlation of the photon pairs generated from the 6.7% chirped device. The experimental results clearly show the frequency correlation of the generated broadband photon pairs.

Frequency correlated photon generation at telecom band using silicon nitride ring cavities.

Frequency entangled photon sources are in high demand in a variety of optical quantum technologies, including quantum key distribution, cluster state quantum computation and quantum metrology. In the recent decade, chip-scale entangled photon sources have been developed using silicon platforms, offering robustness, large scalability and CMOS technology compatibility. Here, we report the generation of frequency correlated photon pairs using a 150-GHz silicon nitride ring cavity. First, the device is characterized for studying the phase matching condition during spontaneous four-wave mixing. Next, we evaluate the joint spectrum intensity of the generated photons and confirm the photon pair generation in a total of 42 correlated frequency mode pairs, corresponding to a bandwidth of 51.25 nm. Finally, the experimental results are analyzed and the joint spectral intensity is quantified in terms of the phase matching condition.

Unified integration scheme using an N × N active switch for efficient generation of a multi-photon parallel state.

A source to efficiently generate multiple indistinguishable single photons in different spatial modes in parallel (multi-photon parallel state) is indispensable for realizing large-scale photonic quantum circuits. "A naive scheme" may be to use a heralding single photon source with an on-off detector set at each of parallel modes and to select the cases where each mode contains one photon at the same time. However, it is also necessary to suppress the probability of generating more than two photons from a single-photon source. For this requirement, serial-parallel conversion and a multiplexed heralded single photon source (HSPS) have been proposed and demonstrated. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a novel method to produce a multi-photon parallel state efficiently using multiple HSPSs and an N × N active optical switch. As an advantage over the simple combination of a spatial multiplexed HSPS and a serial-parallel converter, our method, called the "unified integration scheme," can generate a multi-photon parallel state with minimized optical losses in the switch. Using a 2 × 2 active optical switch and a fixed delay, we achieve an enhancement factor of 1.59 ± 0.14, compared with a naive scheme using two HSPSs, and better than the factor of 1.46 using the simple combination scheme. Furthermore, we confirm the reduction of multi-photon events to 62 % of that of the naive scheme.

Direct optical excitation of an NV center via a nanofiber Bragg-cavity: a theoretical simulation.

Direct optical excitation of a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in nanodiamond by light via a nanofiber is of interest for all-fiber-integrated quantum applications. However, the background light induced by the excitation light via the nanofiber is problematic as it has the same optical wavelength as the emission light from the NV center. In this paper, we propose using a nanofiber Bragg cavity to address this problem. We numerically simulate and estimate the electric field of a nanodiamond induced by excitation light applied from an objective lens on a confocal microscope system, a nanofiber, and nanofiber Bragg-cavities (NFBCs). We estimate that by using a nanofiber, the optical excitation intensity can be decreased by roughly a factor of 10 compared to using an objective lens, while for an NFBC with a grating number of 240 (120 for one side) on a nanofiber the optical excitation intensity can be significantly decreased by roughly a factor of 100. This reduction of optical excitation intensity will make it possible to distinguish the fluorescence of the NV center from the background light.

Fabrication of a nanofiber Bragg cavity with high quality factor using a focused helium ion beam.

Nanofiber Bragg cavities (NFBCs) are solid-state microcavities fabricated in an optical tapered fiber. NFBCs are promising candidates as a platform for photonic quantum information devices due to their small mode volume, ultra-high coupling efficiencies, and ultra-wide tunability. However, the quality (Q) factor has been limited to be approximately 250, which may be due to limitations in the fabrication process. Here we report high Q NFBCs fabricated using a focused helium ion beam. Whenan NFBC with grooves of 640 periods is fabricated, the Q factor is over 4170, which is more than 16 times larger than that previously fabricated using a focused gallium ion beam.

Non-contact detection of nanoscale structures using optical nanofiber.

The detection of nanoscale structure/material property in a wide observation area is becoming very important in various application fields. However, it is difficult to utilize current optical technologies. Toward the realization of novel alternative, we have investigated a new optical sensing method using an optical nanofiber. When the nanofiber vertically approached a glass prism with a partial gold film, the material differences between the glass and the gold were detected as a transmittance difference of 6% with a vertical resolution of 9.6 nm. The nanofiber was also scanned 100 nm above an artificial small protruding object with a width of 240 nm. The object was detected with a horizontal resolution of 630 nm, which was less than the wavelength of the probe light.

Realization of multiplexing of heralded single photon sources using photon number resolving detectors.

Heralded single-photon sources (HSPS) are widely used in experimental quantum science because they have negligibly small jitter and can therefore achieve high visibility for quantum interference. However, it is necessary to decrease the photon generation rate to suppress multi-photon components. To address this problem, two methods have been proposed and discussed: spatial (or temporal) source multiplexing and photon-pair number discrimination. Here, we report the experimental realization of a HSPS combining these two methods that can suppress the two-photon probability to 44.2 ± 0.7% of that of a normal HSPS. We also provide a theoretical analysis and a discussion of the effect of combining the two methods, considering a detector cascade as a practical photon number discriminating detector. The experimental results agreed well with the theoretical predictions.

Detailed numerical analysis of photon emission from a single light emitter coupled with a nanofiber Bragg cavity.

Coupling of a single dipole with a nanofiber Bragg cavity (NFBC) approximating an actually fabricated structure was numerically analyzed using three dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulations for different dipole positions. For the given model structure, the Purcell factor and coupling efficiency reached to 19.1 and 82%, respectively, when the dipole is placed outside the surface of the fiber. Interestingly, these values are very close to the highest values of 20.2 and 84% obtained for the case when the dipole was located inside the fiber at the center. The analysis performed in this study will be useful in improving the performance of single-photon emitter-related quantum devices using NFBCs.

Measuring the charge density of a tapered optical fiber using trapped microparticles.

We report the measurements of charge density of tapered optical fibers using charged particles confined in a linear Paul trap at ambient pressure. A tapered optical fiber is placed across the trap axis at a right angle, and polystyrene microparticles are trapped along the trap axis. The distance between the equilibrium position of a positively charged particle and the tapered fiber is used to estimate the amount of charge per unit length of the fiber without knowing the amount of charge of the trapped particle. The charge per unit length of a tapered fiber with a diameter of 1.6 µm was measured to be 2-1+3×10-11 C/m.

Manipulation of single nanodiamonds to ultrathin fiber-taper nanofibers and control of NV-spin states toward fiber-integrated λ-systems.

We report on the coupling of single nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers to ultrathin fiber-taper nanofibers by the manipulation of single diamond nanocrystals on the nanofibers under real-time observation of nanodiamond fluorescence. Spin-dependent fluorescence of the single NV centers is efficiently detected through the nanofiber. We show control of the spin sub-level structure of the electronic ground state using an external magnetic field and clearly observe a frequency fine tuning of [Formula: see text]. This observation demonstrates a possibility of realizing fiber-integrated quantum λ-systems, which can be used for various quantum information devices including push-pull quantum memory and quantum gates.

Photonic quantum information: science and technology.

Recent technological progress in the generation, manipulation and detection of individual single photons has opened a new scientific field of photonic quantum information. This progress includes the realization of single photon switches, photonic quantum circuits with specific functions, and the application of novel photonic states to novel optical metrology beyond the limits of standard optics. In this review article, the recent developments and current status of photonic quantum information technology are overviewed based on the author's past and recent works.

Ultrathin fiber-taper coupling with nitrogen vacancy centers in nanodiamonds at cryogenic temperatures.

We demonstrate cooling of ultrathin fiber tapers coupled with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds to cryogenic temperatures. Nanodiamonds containing multiple NV centers are deposited on the subwavelength 480-nm-diameter nanofiber region of fiber tapers. The fiber tapers are successfully cooled to 9 K using our home-built mounting holder and an optimized cooling speed. The fluorescence from the nanodiamond NV centers is efficiently channeled into a single guided mode and shows characteristic sharp zero-phonon lines (ZPLs) of both neutral and negatively charged NV centers. The present nanofiber/nanodiamond hybrid systems at cryogenic temperatures can be used as NV-based quantum information devices and for highly sensitive nanoscale magnetometry in a cryogenic environment.

Numerical simulations of nanodiamond nitrogen-vacancy centers coupled with tapered optical fibers as hybrid quantum nanophotonic devices.

Tapered optical fibers are promising one-dimensional nanophotonic waveguides that can provide efficient coupling between their fundamental mode and quantum nanoemitters placed inside them. Here, we present numerical studies on the coupling of single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers (single point dipoles) in nanodiamonds with tapered fibers. Our results lead to two important conclusions: (1) A maximum coupling efficiency of 53.4% can be realized for the two fiber ends when the NV bare dipole is located at the center of the tapered fiber. (2) NV centers even in 100-nm-sized nanodiamonds where bulk-like optical properties were reported show a coupling efficiency of 22% at the taper surface, with the coupling efficiency monotonically decreasing as the nanodiamond size increases. These results will be helpful in guiding the development of hybrid quantum devices for applications in quantum information science.

Realization of a Knill-Laflamme-Milburn controlled-NOT photonic quantum circuit combining effective optical nonlinearities.

Quantum information science addresses how uniquely quantum mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement can enhance communication, information processing, and precision measurement. Photons are appealing for their low-noise, light-speed transmission and ease of manipulation using conventional optical components. However, the lack of highly efficient optical Kerr nonlinearities at the single photon level was a major obstacle. In a breakthrough, Knill, Laflamme, and Milburn (KLM) showed that such an efficient nonlinearity can be achieved using only linear optical elements, auxiliary photons, and measurement [Knill E, Laflamme R, Milburn GJ (2001) Nature 409:46-52]. KLM proposed a heralded controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate for scalable quantum computation using a photonic quantum circuit to combine two such nonlinear elements. Here we experimentally demonstrate a KLM CNOT gate. We developed a stable architecture to realize the required four-photon network of nested multiple interferometers based on a displaced-Sagnac interferometer and several partially polarizing beamsplitters. This result confirms the first step in the original KLM "recipe" for all-optical quantum computation, and should be useful for on-demand entanglement generation and purification. Optical quantum circuits combining giant optical nonlinearities may find wide applications in quantum information processing, communication, and sensing.

Observation of 1.2-GHz linewidth of zero-phonon-line in photoluminescence spectra of nitrogen vacancy centers in nanodiamonds using a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of single nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in 50-nm diamond nanocrystals at the zero-phonon line (ZPL) were directly observed using a Fabry-Perot interferometer at cryogenic temperatures. The narrowest linewidth of ZPL was 1.2 GHz (1.9 ± 0.7 GHz on average), comparable to ZPL linewidths in PL spectra reported for NV centers in pure bulk diamond. This observation is important to the application of NV centers for use in quantum communication and computation devices, and in nano-sensing.

Realization of photon correlations beyond the linear optics limit.

Linear optical transformations of multiple single-photon inputs are fundamental for the development of photonic quantum technologies. Various nonclassical correlations can already be observed directly in states generated using only single-photon inputs and linear optics transformations. However, some quantum correlations require additional operations, and states that exhibit such correlations are classified as non-Fock states. Here, we demonstrate the generation of a two-photon three-mode non-Fock state that exhibits conditional quantum coherences that can only be achieved by non-Fock states. We determine the fidelity of the non-Fock state based on experimentally observed conditional visibilities that characterize the state and compare the result to the fidelity bounds for different classes of Fock and non-Fock states. Our experimental verification of the non-Fock character of the state provides insights into the technological requirements needed to achieve nonclassical correlations in multiphoton quantum optics.