Integrated photon pair source based on a silicon nitride micro-ring resonator for quantum memories.

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics and photonics
• Integrated photonics
• Quantum information science

Background:

• Spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) is a key process for generating photon pairs.
• Integrated photon sources offer miniaturization and scalability for quantum technologies.
• Praseodymium-doped crystals are promising for quantum memory applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and report an integrated photon pair source.
• To match the spectral properties of the generated photons with praseodymium ions and E-band CWDM channels.
• To enable interaction with a praseodymium-doped Y2SiO5 crystal quantum memory.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an integrated micro-ring resonator on a silicon nitride (Si3N4) platform.
• Utilizing spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) for photon pair generation.
• Employing cavity-enhanced SFWM and dispersion engineering for precise wavelength and bandwidth control.

Main Results:

• Generation of signal photons at 606 nm with a 3.98 MHz bandwidth, matching praseodymium ion spectral properties.
• Generation of idler photons at 1430.5 nm, aligning with E-band CWDM channels.
• Design of a novel integrated source for quantum memory applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed integrated photon pair source is a significant advancement for quantum memory systems.
• The precise spectral matching facilitates efficient interfacing with praseodymium-doped quantum memories.
• This work paves the way for scalable and integrated quantum information processing platforms.