High-Repetition-Rate Pump Sources Tailored for High-Purity Entanglement Generation

This overall STTR program will lead to the development of a bandwidth tailored pump source for high purity photon pair generation. Spontaneous parametric down conversion can be used to generate high purity photon pairs at wavelengths of interest to NASA and the broader scientific community. However, these sources are highly dependent on pulsed pump laser parameters. Traditional pulsed laser sources are large, power hungry, and not sufficiently robust for deployment. This project aims to take advantage of compact fiber lasers with precisely tuned frequency conversion to generate appropriate bandwidths for high purity photon pair generation. The proposed low SWaP performance is enabled by waveguide-based components fabricated by AdvR in a variety of nonlinear substrates for highly efficient upconversion for pump preparation, and downconversion for high spectral purity pair generation. The overall goal of this program is; develop a fully-integrated, high-rate, high spectral purity photon pair source utilizing a frequency converted mode locked laser with waveguide-based spontaneous parametric down conversion. The phase I culminated in an evaluation by MIT Lincoln Laboratory of AdvR fabricated upconversion and downconversion sources demonstrating high purity joint spectral intensity. While this was a promising result, there were still bulky, free space components of the system for filtering, dispersion compensation, and pulse shaping. Therefore, the specific goal of this Phase II STTR is to refine the single pass frequency conversion scheme towards compact, fully fiber coupled solutions with necessary properties for generating high purity pairs. While it is expected that this program will include a demonstration of performance at AdvR and MIT-LL, the anticipated broader outcome is a firm understanding of how to pulse broaden, filter, and frequency convert a variety of commercial mode locked lasers in a fiber-based system for integrating with high purity SPDC sources. Objectives: Refine grating engineering demonstrated in the Phase I towards optimized transform limited pulse generation. Develop integrated, single pass system that enables a range of mode locked laser sources to be use with frequency conversion, SPDC, chirp management, and filtering in a fiber-based system. Demonstrate high spectral purity, high-rate photon pair generation using integrated source. Proposed Deliverables: Contractually obligated meetings and reports. Upconversion and downconversion modules designed for use with NASA specified pump parameters

Quantum Computing Quantum Communications Quantum Networking Atomic Interferometry Optical Clocks Environmental Monitoring Precision Timing Random Number Generation Secure Communications Quantum Computing Precision Spectroscopy Environmental Monitoring

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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