Photo-Thermally Tunable Photon-Pair Generation in Dielectric Metasurfaces

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19051v1
• Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:07:14 GMT
• Title: Photo-Thermally Tunable Photon-Pair Generation in Dielectric Metasurfaces
• Authors: Omer Can Karaman, Hua Li, Elif Nur Dayi, Christophe Galland, Giulia Tagliabue,
• Abstract summary: Photon-pair sources based on spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in integrated photonics are often spectrally static.<n>We demonstrate and model a fundamental thermo-optical mechanism that modulates photon-pair generation in amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films and metasurfaces via SFWM.
• Score: 1.9775889547969776
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Photon-pair sources based on spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in integrated photonics are often spectrally static. We demonstrate and model a fundamental thermo-optical mechanism that modulates photon-pair generation in amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films and metasurfaces via SFWM. Femtosecond-pulsed excitation yields g2(0) higher than 400 in unpatterned a-Si, confirming high-purity nonclassical emission. Resonant a-Si metasurfaces produce photon pairs at rates exceeding 3.8 kHz under 0.6 mW pump power through Mie-type modes. Pump absorption induces localized heating that redshifts resonances, altering modal overlap and SFWM efficiency, leading to deviations from the quadratic power scaling expected in the undepleted regime. Coupled electromagnetic and heat-transfer simulations quantitatively reproduce these trends. Polarization-resolved measurements show nearly isotropic nonlinear responses, with 3 times higher third-order susceptibility of a-Si compared to poly-Si. This work positions a-Si as a bright, CMOS-compatible quantum photonics platform and identifies thermo-optical detuning as a key mechanism that should be considered-and potentially harnessed-in integrated photon-pair sources.

Related papers

• A Hybrid Jump-Diffusion Model for Coherent Optical Control of Quantum Emitters in hBN [36.9794819679151]
  Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a promising two-dimensional host for stable single-photon emission.<n>We present a simulation-based study of temperature-dependent spectral dynamics and optical coherence in a mechanically decoupled quantum emitter in hBN.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-01-28T13:23:28Z)
• Deterministic single-photon source with on-chip 5.6 GHz acoustic clock [59.38889796913807]
  We demonstrate triggering of a quantum dot (QD) single photon emission using dynamic Purcell effect induced at a frequency of several GHz by acoustic strain.<n>InAs QDs are integrated in a hybrid photon-phonon patterned microcavity.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-10-26T20:43:00Z)
• Generation of photon pairs through spontaneous four-wave mixing in subwavelength nonlinear films [67.410870290301]
  We investigate photon pair generation through spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) in subwavelength films of amorphous silicon nitride (SiN) with varying nitrogen content.<n>By observing two-photon interference between SFWM from the SiN films and the fused silica substrate, we find the third-order susceptibilities of films with different nitrogen content.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-02-03T12:30:06Z)
• Quantum Pair Generation in Nonlinear Metasurfaces with Mixed and Pure Photon Polarizations [0.09423257767158633]
  We present a solution by achieving polarization engineering of frequency-nondegenerate biphotons emitted via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. By performing a comprehensive polarization tomography, we demonstrate that the polarization of the emitted photons directly reflects the qBIC mode's far-field properties.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-09-06T19:17:11Z)
• Engineering biphoton spectral wavefunction in a silicon micro-ring resonator with split resonances [21.14676162428423]
  Control of frequency-time amplitude of a photon's electric field has been demonstrated on platforms with second-order optical nonlinearity. Here, we demonstrate a cavity-enhanced photon-pair source that can generate both separable states and controllable entangled states. Experiments and simulations demonstrate the capacity to manipulate the frequency-domain wavefunction in a silicon-based device.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-24T14:23:21Z)
• Role of time-frequency correlations in two-photon-two-atom resonance energy transfer [0.0]
  We study the excitation of two non-interacting two-level atoms by time-frequency correlated photon pairs. Our results help elucidating the role of time-frequency correlations in resonance energy transfer with SPDC photons.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-07T17:00:23Z)
• All-optical modulation with single-photons using electron avalanche [66.27103948750306]
  We demonstrate all-optical modulation enabled by electron avalanche process in silicon.<n>Our approach opens the possibility of gigahertz-speed, and potentially even faster, optical switching at the single-photon level.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-12-18T20:14:15Z)
• On-Demand Generation of Indistinguishable Photons in the Telecom C-Band using Quantum Dot Devices [31.114245664719455]
  We demonstrate the coherent on-demand generation of in photons in the telecom C-band from single QD devices. The research represents a significant advancement in photon-indistinguishability of single photons emitted directly in the telecom C-band.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-06-14T17:59:03Z)
• Quantum vortices of strongly interacting photons [52.131490211964014]
  Vortices are hallmark of nontrivial dynamics in nonlinear physics. We report on the realization of quantum vortices resulting from a strong photon-photon interaction in a quantum nonlinear optical medium. For three photons, the formation of vortex lines and a central vortex ring attests to a genuine three-photon interaction.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-02-12T18:11:04Z)
• Silicon nitride waveguides with intrinsic single-photon emitters for integrated quantum photonics [97.5153823429076]
  We show the first successful coupling of photons from intrinsic single-photon emitters in SiN to monolithically integrated waveguides made of the same material. Results pave the way toward the realization of scalable, technology-ready quantum photonic integrated circuitry.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-05-17T16:51:29Z)
• Tailoring solid-state single-photon sources with stimulated emissions [4.654318200018726]
  Single-photon sources based on three-level systems are limited due to a lack of high photon indistinguishability. Here, we tailor the cavity-enhanced spontaneous emission from a ladder-type three-level system in a single epitaxial quantum dot (QD) through stimulated emission. The stimulated XX-X emission modifies the X decay dynamics and yields improved polarized single-photon source characteristics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-09-20T03:14:58Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.