Quantum Nonlinear Optics: Foundation of Photonics Technology

量子非线性光学：光子技术基础

Quantum Nonlinear Optics: Foundation of Photonics Technology We describe a research program aimed at exploiting recent advances in nonlinear optics and quantum optics. The field of quantum nonlinear optics (QNLO) lies at the intersection of fundamental physics, applied physics, and engineering. One can expect important advances to result from a vigorous, interdisciplinary research program involving QNLO. One aspect of our work involves the development of methods for controlling the velocity at which light pulses travel through material systems. Applications of these "slow-light" methods include the development of routers and buffers for optical telecommunications and enhanced nonlinear optical interactions. As a specific example, as part of this program we will develop a chip-scale spectrometer that, by means of slow-light methods, can provide the same spectral resolution as that of large laboratory-scale instruments. This spectrometer will be constructed using nanofabrication methods to create photonic-crystal structures that display strong slow-light effects. Such devices have enormous implications for applications such as medical diagnostics and the detection of terrorism threats. Another aspect of our work entails the development of optical methods for quantum information science. Our approach is motivated by the observation that the transverse degree of freedom of the photon constitutes an extremely large state space. Consequently, large amounts of information can be carried even by a single photon. This large information capacity can be exploited in the context of quantum imaging, for instance to provide super-resolution and the transmission of complete images using only a small number of photons. Another application, which will be a primary goal of our research, is to develop a quantum cryptography system in which each photon carries many bits of information. This increased information capacity can increase dramatically the transmission rates of systems for quantum key distribution.