Noise suppression of quantum frequency conversion in thin-film lithium niobate waveguides via adapted poling
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Quantum frequency conversion (QFC) enables optical interfaces between dissimilar quantum systems, but suppressing noise while maintaining high conversion efficiency remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate that adapted poling in thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) waveguides reduces the pump-power requirement while shifting the dominant noise mechanism and its power scaling. In 2-cm-long waveguides, adapted poling enables maximum conversion efficiency at an on-chip pump power of $19\pm0.8$~mW, reducing the required pump power by 8~dB and the total conversion noise by 14~dB relative to conventional periodic poling at their respective maximum-conversion operating points. Controlled measurements with different pump conditions and device configurations reveal a transition from predominantly quadratic noise scaling in periodically poled devices to predominantly linear scaling in adapted-poling devices. This transition accompanies a shift from noise dominated by cascaded second-harmonic generation and Stokes spontaneous Raman scattering to direct anti-Stokes spontaneous Raman scattering. These results establish adapted poling as an effective approach to suppressing nonlinear noise, enabling low-noise integrated frequency converters for quantum networks.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institutions: University of Arizona, The University of Texas at Austin
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222976814