Cascaded second-order processes for high-purity photon pair generation in layer-poled thin-film lithium niobate
Frequency-degenerate photon pairs are a key resource for quantum information processing. Yet, their generation via nonlinear parametric processes is often accompanied by parasitic interactions that hinder state purity. We present a novel approach based on dual-pump, cascaded sum-frequency generation (SFG) and spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) within a single layer-poled thin-film lithium niobate waveguide. By exploiting modal phase matching, our scheme effectively suppresses spurious photons originating from single-pump processes. This compact, single-pass architecture operates entirely in the telecom band and eliminates the need for complex filtering or microresonator structures. Experimentally, we demonstrate degenerate photon-pair generation with a brightness of (1.0 ± 0.3) × 105 Hz nm−1 mW−2 and more than 40 dB suppression of parasitic photon-pair emission. Our results establish a scalable, low-noise platform for high-purity quantum light sources and open a pathway toward on-chip squeezed light generation via cascaded processes.
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Clementi, M., Hefti, O., Melani, E., Tremblay, J. E., Volpini, A., Koyaz, Y., Zarebidaki, H., Prieto, I., Dubochet, O., Bajoni, D., Caër, C., Sattari, H., Brès, C. S., Galli, M., & Grassani, D. (2026). Cascaded second-order processes for high-purity photon pair generation in layer-poled thin-film lithium niobate. In P. R. Hemmer, A. L. Migdall, & I. A. Burenkov (Editors), Quantum Computing, Communication, and Simulation VI (No. 139190J). SPIE Quantum West 2026, San Francisco, United States, January 17, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3078967
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2-s2.0-105040012733
Università degli Studi di Pavia
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Università degli Studi di Pavia
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
Università degli Studi di Pavia
2026-03-05
Bellingham, Washington
9781510697553
9781510697560
Proceedings Volume; 13919
0277-786X
1996-756X
139190J
REVIEWED
EPFL
| Event name | Event acronym | Event place | Event date |
San Francisco, United States | 2026-01-17 - 2026-01-23 | ||