Integrated quantum optical phase sensor in thin film lithium niobate

Abstract

The quantum noise of light, attributed to the random arrival time of photons from a coherent light source, fundamentally limits optical phase sensors. An engineered source of squeezed states suppresses this noise and allows phase detection sensitivity beyond the quantum noise limit (QNL). We need ways to use quantum light within deployable quantum sensors. Here we present a photonic integrated circuit in thin-film lithium niobate that meets these requirements. We use the second-order nonlinearity to produce a squeezed state at the same frequency as the pump light and realize circuit control and sensing with electro-optics. Using 26.2 milliwatts of optical power, we measure (2.7 ± 0.2)% squeezing and apply it to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of phase measurement. We anticipate that photonic systems like this, which operate with low power and integrate all of the needed functionality on a single die, will open new opportunities for quantum optical sensing.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jun 08, 2023
Source ID
10.1038/s41467-023-38246-6

Entities

People

  • Alexander Y. Hwang
  • Amir H. Safavi-Naeini
  • Devin J. Dean
  • Hubert S. Stokowski
  • Martin M. Fejer
  • Oguz Tolga Celik
  • Taewon Park
  • Timothy P. McKenna
  • Vahid Ansari

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • National Science Foundation
  • United States Department of Defense
  • United States Department of Energy

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Quantum Computing