PPLN-based photon pair sources toward biphoton quantum frequency conversion

Abstract

While quantum properties of light promise much-needed enhancements to metrology, further development of quantum light sources and associated tools are needed to readily harness two-photon interactions via energy-time correlations. This thesis will discuss the experimental development of energy-time correlated photon pairs generated within the nonlinear material of bulk periodically-poled lithium niobate toward photon pair up-conversion. Joint spatial-spectral characterizations of this spontaneous parametric down-conversion source are modelled and measured using a unique single-shot spatial-spectral method. In addition, another telecommunication-wavelength entangled photon pair source is simulated and experimentally characterized through dispersive time-of-flight measurements.

As required by the goal of biphoton frequency conversion, a prism compressor for enacting biphoton dispersion cancellation was built and later characterized using wavelength-scanning interferometry. With the amalgamation of these components and techniques, an experimental study of biphoton frequency conversion is constructed and characterized to elucidate this femtosecond-timescale quantum frequency conversion process.