Abstract

Sources of quantum light, in particular correlated photon pairs that are indistinguishable for all degrees of freedom, are the fundamental resource for photonic quantum computation and simulation. Although such sources have been recently realized using integrated photonics, they offer limited ability to tune the spectral and temporal correlations between generated photons because they rely on a single component, such as a ring resonator. Here, we demonstrate a tunable source of indistinguishable photon pairs using dual-pump spontaneous four-wave mixing in a topological system comprising a two-dimensional array of resonators. We exploit the linear dispersion of the topological edge states to tune the spectral bandwidth (by about 3.5x), and thereby, to tune quantum interference between generated photons by tuning the two pump frequencies. We demonstrate energy-time entanglement and, using numerical simulations, confirm the topological robustness of our source. Our results could lead to tunable, frequency-multiplexed quantum light sources for photonic quantum technologies. Indistinguishable photon pairs are generated via four-wave mixing in a two-dimensional array of ring resonators that exhibit topological edge states. They show tunable spectral-temporal correlations and robustness against fabrication disorders.

Publication Details
Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2021
Volume
15
Number of Pages
542-548
DOI
10.1038/s41566-021-00810-1
Journal
Nature Photonics
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