Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 2407.11754

Hexagonal boron nitride based photonic quantum technologies

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride is rapidly gaining interest as a platform for photonic quantum technologies, due to its two-dimensional nature and its ability to host defects deep within its large band gap that may act as room-temperature single-photon emitters. In this review paper we provide an overview of (1) the structure, properties, growth and transfer of hexagonal boron nitride; (2) the creation and assignment of colour centres in hexagonal boron nitride for applications in photonic quantum technologies; and (3) heterostructure devices for the electrical tuning and charge control of colour centres that form the basis for photonic quantum technology devices. The aim of this review is to provide readers a summary of progress in both defect engineering and device fabrication in hexagonal boron nitride based photonic quantum technologies.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Madhava Krishna Prasad, Mike P. C. Taverne, Chung-Che Huang, Jonathan D. Mar, Ying-Lung Daniel Ho. 2024-07-16. Hexagonal boron nitride based photonic quantum technologies. https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11754

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Rubidium referenced Kerr comb with cavity phase matching

Phase matching is a fundamental problem in nonlinear optics that is normally constrained by material dispersion. The limited operation wavelengths within phase matching window limits the application, including the precise metrology using Kerr combs. Demanding applications like compact optical clock and astronomical spectroscopy requires atomic reference around 800 nm, where the natural phase matching is challenging. Here we revisit the concept of cavity phase matching (CPM), and fully reveal its advantage to engineer artificial phase matching beyond material dispersion. With the access of CPM condition in a monolithic high-Q fiber Fabry-Pérot resonator featuring a macroscopic cavity length, we achieve low noise Kerr comb generation around 800 nm, within the power budget of a single-mode laser diode. Inside a pump-integrated package of 19 cm3, low phase noise of -125 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset frequency is achieved for a 10.1 GHz repetition rate. Most importantly, the generated Kerr comb has been directly referenced to rubidium atomic transition for long-term stable operation. This result not only opens a new way for Kerr comb generation at arbitrary wavelengths, but also can be generalized to any other nonlinear optical frequency conversion application.

physics.optics

Mid-infrared reconfiguration of population flow in lanthanide nanocrystals

Converting mid-infrared (MIR) radiation to visible or near-infrared wavelengths is essential for imaging and sensing, yet achieving sensitive, low-power, and scalable detection remains challenging. Lanthanide nanocrystals provide an alternative through ratiometric luminescence but are typically constrained by Boltzmann statistics, which tie population distributions to lattice temperature and limit signal contrast. Here we show that MIR irradiation rebalances dissipative relaxation pathways, driving lanthanide emitters into a non-Boltzmann steady state that enables non-thermal control of population distributions. This allows emission behaviors inaccessible under thermal equilibrium. We exploit this regime to achieve linear MIR detection with respect to MIR power across 6.8 to 8.6 micrometers. The ratiometric response is intrinsically independent of the pump power, enabling operation at an ultralow excitation power of 10 uW, several orders of magnitude lower than conventional approaches. Using standard silicon photodetectors, we then demonstrate room-temperature MIR imaging with detection limits approaching 4 nW um-2. Our results establish lanthanide nanoparticles as an efficient platform for MIR conversion and sensing in nanophotonic systems.

physics.optics

Intracavity THz generation using a thin lithium niobate plate in a compact Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:CALGO bulk oscillator

We demonstrate intracavity terahertz (THz) generation via optical rectification in a 50-m-thick lithium niobate crystal placed inside a compact diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked (KLM) Yb:CALGO bulk oscillator. The oscillator operates at a repetition rate of 85 MHz and delivers 83-fs pulses with up to 71 W of average intracavity power, obtained with only 21.4 W of low-cost multimode diode pump power. We generate single-cycle THz pulses with a spectrum extending up to 3 THz, detected by electro-optic sampling with 60 dB dynamic range within 156 s of measurement time (313 averaged traces) and up to 120 W of THz average power. This work combines the high damage threshold, power-handling capability, and cost-effectiveness of thin LN plates with simplicity, compactness, and low-cost multimode diode-pumped solid-state bulk lasers, offering an attractive alternative for high-repetition-rate THz time-domain spectroscopy systems.

physics.optics