Chenzhi Yuan

Bio: Chenzhi Yuan is an academic researcher from University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. The author has contributed to research in topics: Physics & Photon. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 19 publications receiving 54 citations. Previous affiliations of Chenzhi Yuan include Tsinghua University.

Towards Real‐World Quantum Networks: A Review

Abstract: Quantum networks play an extremely important role in quantum information science, with application to quantum communication, computation, metrology, and fundamental tests. One of the key challenges for implementing a quantum network is to distribute entangled flying qubits to spatially separated nodes, at which quantum interfaces or transducers map the entanglement onto stationary qubits. The stationary qubits at the separated nodes constitute quantum memories realized in matter while the flying qubits constitute quantum channels realized in photons. Dedicated efforts around the world for more than 20 years have resulted in both major theoretical and experimental progress toward entangling quantum nodes and ultimately building a global quantum network. Here, the development of quantum networks and the experimental progress over the past two decades leading to the current state of the art for generating entanglement of quantum nodes based on various physical systems such as single atoms, cold atomic ensembles, trapped ions, diamonds with nitrogen‐vacancy centers, and solid‐state host doped with rare‐earth ions are reviewed. Along the way, the merits are discussed and the potential of each of these systems toward realizing a quantum network is compared.

High-performance quantum entanglement generation via cascaded second-order nonlinear processes

Abstract: In this paper, we demonstrate the generation of high-performance entangled photon-pairs in different degrees of freedom from a single piece of fiber pigtailed periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) waveguide. We utilize cascaded second-order nonlinear optical processes, i.e., second-harmonic generation (SHG) and spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC), to generate photon-pairs. Previously, the performance of the photon-pairs is contaminated by Raman noise photons. Here by fiber-integrating the PPLN waveguide with noise-rejecting filters, we obtain a coincidence-to-accidental ratio (CAR) higher than 52,600 with photon-pair generation and detection rate of 52.36 kHz and 3.51 kHz, respectively. Energy-time, frequency-bin, and time-bin entanglement is prepared by coherently superposing correlated two-photon states in these degrees of freedom, respectively. The energy-time entangled two-photon states achieve the maximum value of CHSH-Bell inequality of S = 2.71 ± 0.02 with two-photon interference visibility of 95.74 ± 0.86%. The frequency-bin entangled two-photon states achieve fidelity of 97.56 ± 1.79% with a spatial quantum beating visibility of 96.85 ± 2.46%. The time-bin entangled two-photon states achieve the maximum value of CHSH-Bell inequality of S = 2.60 ± 0.04 and quantum tomographic fidelity of 89.07 ± 4.35%. Our results provide a potential candidate for the quantum light source in quantum photonics.

Reverse Ridge/Slot Chalcogenide Glass Waveguide With Ultrabroadband Flat and Low Dispersion

Abstract: A reverse ridge/slot hybrid chalcogenide glass $({\rm As}_{2}{\rm S}_{3})$ waveguide with two vertical silicon dioxide slots is proposed in this paper. The fundamental quasi-TE mode of the waveguide shows an ultraflat dispersion with three zero-dispersion wavelengths. Its dispersion is confined between $-$ 26 and $+$ 27 ps/nm/km over a bandwidth of 1370 nm (from 1770 to 3140 nm). Two slots in the waveguide introduce the dispersion tailoring effect on the quasi-TE mode, which provides more flexibility for designing the waveguide dispersion. The nonlinear coefficient and the phase mismatching of the degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) process in this waveguide are calculated, showing that it can support broadband FWM processes in near- and middle-infrared regions.

High-quality chalcogenide glass waveguide fabrication by hot melt smoothing and micro-trench filling

Abstract: We propose a fabrication method for chalcogenide glass (ChG) waveguides based on hot melt smoothing and micro-trench filling. ChGs has low melting points and good flowability. Experiments show that this method can realize high quality As2S7 glass waveguides with reverse ridge structures. The attenuations of the fundamental quasi-TE mode and quasi-TM mode are 0.1 and 0.9 dB/cm, respectively. This method avoids fabrication processes, such as photolithography, lift-off, and dry or wet etching that are directly applied to the ChG films. It provides a simple way to fabricate high quality ChG waveguides, which have great potential for applications in integrated nonlinear optical devices.

Generation of 1.5 μm discrete frequency-entangled two-photon state in polarization-maintaining fibers.

Abstract: In this Letter, the generation of a 1.5 μm discrete frequency-entangled two-photon state is realized based on a piece of commercial polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF). It is connected with a polarization beam splitter to realize a modified Sagnac fiber loop (MSFL). Correlated two-photon states are generated through a spontaneous four-wave-mixing process along the two propagation directions of the MSFL, and output from the MSFL with orthogonal polarizations. Their quantum interference is realized through a 45° polarization collimation between polarization axes of PMFs inside and outside the MSFL, while their phase difference is controlled by the polarization state of the pump light. The frequency-entangled property of the two-photon state is demonstrated by a spatial quantum beating experiment with a fringe visibility of 98.2±1.3%, without subtracting the accidental coincidence counts. The proposed scheme generates a 1.5 μm discrete frequency-entangled two-photon state in a polarization-maintaining way, which is desired in practical quantum light sources.

Nonlinear silicon photonics

Abstract: Silicon is evolving as a versatile photonic platform with multiple functionalities that can be seamlessly integrated. The tool box is rich starting from the ability to guide and amplify multiple wavelength sources at GHz bandwidths, to optomechanical MEMS. The strong confinement of light in ultra small structures also enables the generation of strong optical forces. We have recently shown that nonlinear optical forces can enable controllable manipulation of photonic structures. These advances should enable future micro-optomechanical systems (MOMS) with novel and distinct functionalities. A research area that recently has emerged is nonlinear optics using silicon photonics. Since the birth of nonlinear optics, researchers have continually focused on developing efficient nonlinear optical devices that require low optical powers. The strong light confinement in silicon waveguides results in a high effective nonlinearity ad enables fine tuning of waveguide dispersion which is essential for phase matching of parametric nonlinear optical processes such as four-wave-mixing (FWM) We demonstrated FWM-based frequency conversion in waveguides using as little as 1 mW of pump power in a ring-resonator geometry, and ∼100 mW of pump power over bandwidths exceeding 800 nm in a straight-waveguide device. In addition, by using the concept of time-space duality we have shown the temporally stretching and compressing of optical waveforms which allows for seamless transformation between the GHz and THz regimes.

Microscale Generation of Entangled Photons without Momentum Conservation

Abstract: We report, for the first time, the observation of spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) free of phase matching (momentum conservation). We alleviate the need to conserve momentum by exploiting the position-momentum uncertainty relation and using a planar geometry source, a $6\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ thick layer of lithium niobate. Nonphase-matched SPDC opens up a new platform on which to investigate fundamental quantum effects but it also has practical applications. The ultrasmall thickness leads to a frequency spectrum an order of magnitude broader than that of phase-matched SPDC. The strong two-photon correlations are still preserved due to energy conservation. This results in ultrashort temporal correlation widths and huge frequency entanglement. The studies we make here can be considered as the initial steps into the emerging field of nonlinear quantum optics on the microscale and nanoscale.

Generation of hyper-entanglement on polarization and energy-time based on a silicon micro-ring cavity

Abstract: In this paper, hyper-entanglement on polarization and energy-time is generated based on a silicon micro-ring cavity. The silicon micro-ring cavity is placed in a fiber loop connected by a polarization beam splitter. Photon pairs are generated by the spontaneous four wave mixing (SFWM) in the cavity bi-directionally. The two photon states of photon pairs propagate along the two directions of the fiber loop and are superposed in the polarization beam splitter with orthogonal polarizations, leading to the polarization entanglement generation. On the other hand, the energy-time entanglement is an intrinsic property of photon pairs generated by the SFWM, which maintains in the process of the state superposition. The property of polarization entanglement is demonstrated by the two photon interferences under two non-orthogonal polarization bases. The property of energy-time entanglement is demonstrated by the Franson type interference under two non-orthogonal phase bases. The raw visibilities of all the measured interference fringes are higher than 1/2, the bench mark for violation of the Bell inequality. It indicates that silicon micro-ring cavity is a promising candidate to realize high performance hyper-entanglement generation.

Storage of hyperentanglement in a solid-state quantum memory

Abstract: Two photons can simultaneously share entanglement between several degrees of freedom such as polarization, energy-time, spatial mode and orbital angular momentum. This resource is known as hyperentanglement, and it has been shown to be an important tool for optical quantum information processing. Here we demonstrate the quantum storage and retrieval of photonic hyperentanglement in a solid-state quantum memory. A pair of photons entangled in polarization and energy-time is generated such that one photon is stored in the quantum memory, while the other photon has a telecommunication wavelength suitable for transmission in optical fibre. We measured violations of a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) Bell inequality for each degree of freedom, independently of the other one, which proves the successful storage and retrieval of the two bits of entanglement shared by the photons. Our scheme is compatible with long-distance quantum communication in optical fibre, and is in particular suitable for linear-optical entanglement purification for quantum repeaters.

Direct generation of frequency-bin entangled photons via two-period quasi-phase-matched parametric downconversion

Abstract: We report a simple scheme for direct generation of frequency-bin entangled photon pairs via spontaneous parametric downconversion. Our fabricated nonlinear optical crystal with two different poling periods can simultaneously satisfy two different, spectrally symmetric nondegenerate quasi-phase-matching conditions, enabling the direct generation of entanglement in two discrete frequency-bin modes. Our produced photon pairs exhibited Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with high-visibility beating oscillations— a signature of two-mode frequency-bin entanglement. Moreover, we demonstrate deterministic entanglement-mode conversion from frequency-bin to polarization modes, with which our source can be more versatile for various quantum applications. Our scheme can be extended to direct generation of high-dimensional frequency-bin entanglement, and thus will be a key technology for frequency-multiplexed optical quantum information processing.