Temporal and spectral manipulations of correlated photons using a time lens

Abstract

A common challenge in quantum information processing with photons is the limited ability to manipulate and measure correlated states. An example is the inability to measure picosecond scale temporal correlations of a multi-photon state, given state-of-the-art detectors have a temporal resolution of about 100 ps. Here, we demonstrate temporal magnification of time-bin entangled two-photon states using a time-lens, and measure their temporal correlation function which is otherwise not accessible because of the limited temporal resolution of single photon detectors. Furthermore, we show that the time-lens maps temporal correlations of photons to frequency correlations and could be used to manipulate frequency-bin entangled photons. This demonstration opens a new avenue to manipulate and analyze spectral and temporal wavefunctions of many-photon states.

Quantum manipulation of biphoton spectral distributions in a 2D frequency space toward arbitrary shaping of a biphoton wave packet

“…For narrow-band biphotons generated from a four-wave-mixing (FWM) process in a cold atomic ensemble within a magneto-optical trap (MOT), the biphoton temporal-spectral distribution is shaped by modulating the pump lasers using electro-optical modulators (EOM) [4], by using a spatial light modulator (SLM) [5], or by manipulating the dispersive properties of the electromagnetically induced transparency medium [6]. For biphotons generated from a spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) process in a nonlinear crystal, the shaping of the wavepacket has been realized by several methods [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. For example, Valencia et al controlled the joint spectra of biphotons by spatially shaping the pump beam using a hologram [11]; Mittal et al magnified biphoton's temporal distribution using a time lens composed of dispersion fibers, EOM and gratings [12]; Matsuda shaped biphotons using cross-phase modulations with a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) [13]; and the spectra and phases of biphotons can also be manipulated using SLM [14,15].…”

“…For biphotons generated from a spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) process in a nonlinear crystal, the shaping of the wavepacket has been realized by several methods [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. For example, Valencia et al controlled the joint spectra of biphotons by spatially shaping the pump beam using a hologram [11]; Mittal et al magnified biphoton's temporal distribution using a time lens composed of dispersion fibers, EOM and gratings [12]; Matsuda shaped biphotons using cross-phase modulations with a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) [13]; and the spectra and phases of biphotons can also be manipulated using SLM [14,15].…”

“…Although the previous schemes [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] have provided several effective ways to modulate biphotons, these techniques rely on preexisting technologies to independently modulate the constituent photons of a biphoton wave packet. In this work, we propose and demonstrate another approach that jointly modulates a biphoton wave packet other than two photons independently.…”

Control and Measurement of Quantum Light Pulses for Quantum Information Science and Technology

“…[ 75,112,125 ] This approach was used in first realizations of deterministic temporal lensing of quantum light. [ 126,127 ] The EOPM approach alleviates some of the challenges that arise with three‐ and four‐wave mixing processes. In particular, the lack of strong optical pumps removes the risk of contaminating the few‐photon level light with scattered photons.…”

Autoheterodyne Characterization of Narrow-Band Photon Pairs

“…In broadband SPDC applications, it is possible to directly measure the JSI using monochromators or other passive filters [8,9]. Techniques such as Fourier transform spectroscopy using Mach Zehnder interferometers [10] and temporal magnification of photons with a time lens [11] have also been used. Non-classical interference can also be a tool to characterize non-classical frequency correlations; the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) [12] interference visibility has been used to characterize broadband photon pairs from a single source [9,13,14] and from different sources [15,16].…”