High-order orbital angular momentum modes in bright squeezed vacuum states of light
Final Report Abstract
In this project, we developed and analyzed a theoretical approach for generation high-order orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in bright squeezed vacuum states of light and biphotons based on parametric down-conversion (PDC), four-wave mixing (FWM) processes and nonlinear SU(1,1) interferometers. Firstly, we considered a single nonlinear crystal pumped by a Laguerre-Gaussian pump with various orbital and radial numbers and analyzed the mode structure of the squeezed light generated in such a system for different regimes: low-gain (biphoton pairs) and high-gain (bright squeezed vacuum). We demonstrated that the OAM distribution becomes significantly broader for non-Gaussian pump excitation. We then extended the above system to a configuration of nonlinear SU(1,1) interferometers by adding a second crystal separated by an air gap. We demonstrated that such a configuration leads to the counter-intuitive phenomenon of a non-monotonic population of OAM modes, which allows filtering out the desired OAM modes using high parametric gain. Finally, we considered such types of interferometers for angular displacement measurements by placing a Dove prism between the two crystals and demonstrated sensitivity below the classical shot noise limit. To describe such highly-multimode systems in the high-gain regime, we developed a theoretical approach based on the solution of a system of integro-differential equations for the plane-wave operators. In this approach, based on the joint-Schmidt decomposition of transfer functions, we introduced broadband Schmidt modes and characterized their profiles and squeezing for different gain regimes. To consider multimode high-gain SU(1,1) interferometers, we developed a generalized theoretical approach that takes into account a complex interplay between modes from different crystals in the system. Finally, to perform mode sorting, we considered an OAM photon source based on the FWM process in helical grating fibers and demonstrated the generation of polarization-entangled photons in high-order OAM modes propagating in opposite directions according to the sign of their OAM. Within this project we have obtained several relevant results for different model systems and predicted novel effects. We have developed systems that can be directly applied to experimental implementation and even once test our theory by performing a joint theoreticalexperimental work together with our experimental collaborators. The developed designs and predicted properties could be useful for future applications in quantum technologies and devices that take advantage of high-order OAM modes and bright squeezed vacuum states of light.
Link to the final report
https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/32165
Publications
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Nonlinear Dielectric Nanoresonators and Metasurfaces: Toward Efficient Generation of Entangled Photons. Laser & Photonics Reviews, 17(4).
Sharapova, Polina R.; Kruk, Sergey S. & Solntsev, Alexander S.
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Phase sensitivity of spatially broadband high-gain SU(1,1) interferometers. Physical Review Research, 5(4).
Scharwald, D.; Meier, T. & Sharapova, P. R.
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Characterization of Schmidt modes in high-gain SU(1,1) interferometers
D. Scharwald & P. R. Sharapova
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Generation of polarization-entangled counter-propagating photons with high orbital angular momentum. New Journal of Physics, 27(6), 064106.
Wagner, Elisabeth; Schmidt, Mikołaj K.; Steel, Michael J. & Sharapova, Polina R.
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Nonlinear squeezing generation via multimode PDC and single photon measurement. Optics Express, 33(6), 14000.
Kala, Vojtěch; Kopylov, Denis; Marek, Petr & Sharapova, Polina
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Schmidt modes carrying orbital angular momentum generated by cascaded systems pumped with Laguerre–Gaussian beams. APL Photonics, 10(1).
Scharwald, D.; Gehse, L. & Sharapova, P. R.
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Simultaneous measurement of multimode squeezing through multimode phase-sensitive amplification. Optica Quantum, 3(1), 36.
Barakat, Ismail; Kalash, Mahmoud; Scharwald, Dennis; Sharapova, Polina; Lindlein, Norbert & Chekhova, Maria
