Novel Light Sources for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

The focus of this project is the development of a novel physical system for the creation of non-gaussian quantum states of light and of multipartite continuous-variable entanglement. The system is a three-photon optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on an effective third-order nonlinearity resulting from the cascade of two second-order non-linearities in a properly designed optical resonator. Feasibility studies of such a system show that its threshold can be made much lower than would be expected, practically as low as that of a two-photon OPO. Experiments will be undertaken to characterize the quantum properties of the three-photon OPO. Broader aspects of the proposed activity include, besides significant contributions to graduate education, the development of collaborations with the Engineering School at the University of Virginia on the topics of quantum information and nonlinear optical materials science, and in the context of the University of Virginia 2020 Initiative for the Sciences.