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Quantum communication links and networks are needed for secure information exchange and for interconnecting future quantum computers. However, their capacity decreases exponentially with distance due to the effect of fiber attenuation that cannot be undone by amplification (although quantum repeaters are an active area of research, they are almost as hard to build as quantum computers). Hence, the only way to increase the quantum communication capacity is by employing more degrees of freedom (optical modes) over which this information can be encoded and transmitted. While frequency (WDM), temporal, and polarization modes have already been exploited for this purpose, the use of many spatial modes has only recently become possible owing to the development of low-loss few-mode fibers (FMFs). This talk will present the work of Prof. M. Vasilyev’s research group on the development of two key enablers of quantum communication over spatial modes of FMFs: 1) generator of spatially-entangled photon pairs and 2) receiver sub-system that can perform projective measurements that alternate between two sets of mutually unbiased bases in a given spatial mode space (this sub-system can also perform dynamically reconfigurable de-multiplexing of spatial modes of the FMF). Both of the above devices / sub-systems are based on the spatial-mode-selective quantum frequency conversion process, implemented in a medium with either second-order nonlinearity (multimode lithium niobate waveguide) or third-order nonlinearity (custom-made FMF). The talk will introduce the principles of their operation, as well as the recent experimental results obtained in both media. 

We discuss three emerging applications of wavelength conversion: 1) hybrid amplification outside of EDFA band, based on a combination of two wavelength converters and an EDFA, 2) spatial-mode-selective wavelength conversion, and 3) generation of spatial-mode-entangled photon pairs. 

We discuss wavelength conversion of a selected signal spatial mode, which preserves its quantum state and does not disturb other signal spatial modes. We present the results for a lithium niobate waveguide and a few-mode-fiber. 

Wavelength transduction of single-photon signals is indispensable to networked quantum applications, particularly those incorporating quantum memories. Lithium niobate nanophotonic devices have demonstrated favorable linear, nonlinear, and electro-optical properties to deliver this crucial function while offering superior efficiency, integrability, and scalability. Yet, their quantum noise level—a crucial metric for any single-photon-based application—has yet to be investigated. In this work, we report the first, to the best of our knowledge, study with the focus on telecom to near-visible conversion driven by a small detuned telecom pump for practical considerations in distributed quantum processing over fiber networks. Our results find the noise level to be on the order of${10}^{-<\#comment/>4}$photons per time-frequency mode for high conversion, allowing faithful pulsed operations. Through carefully analyzing the origins of such noise and each’s dependence on the pump power and wavelength detuning, we have also identified a formula for noise suppression to${10}^{-<\#comment/>5}$photons per mode. Our results assert a viable, low-cost, and modular approach to networked quantum processing and beyond using lithium niobate nanophotonics.

 

We describe OAM-compatible mode-selective frequency conversion in a few-mode fiber and experimentally demonstrate downconversion of various superpositions of signal modes LP11a and LP11b to the same LP11b mode with conversion efficiency differences <0.8 dB.