Control of the wavelength and temporal profile of quantum states of light is an important resource in the development of photonic quantum information technology, where it can be used to interface disparate physical systems, overcome fabrication-induced inhomogeneity, and allow for more optimal detection. In this talk, I will outline our laboratory’s efforts at generating and manipulating single photon states produced by quantum nanophotonic devices. I will begin by describing how we generate single photons from single semiconductor quantum dots, and techniques we use to improve the brightness, purity, and indistinguishability of these sources. Then, I’ll describe a pair of experiments in which we combine such a single photon source with three-wave-mixing in a nonlinear crystal to demonstrate telecom-to-visible conversion and produce identical photons from initially spectrally distinct sources. Next, I will discuss efforts to develop quantum frequency converters in a scalable, chip-based platform, using both material nonlinearities (four-wave-mixing) and engineered nonlinearities based on radiation pressure coupling between photons and phonons (cavity optomechanics). Finally, I’ll describe efforts to not only change the color of single photons, but also manipulate their wavepacket shape.
Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule