Single-photon nonlinear optics with Kerr-type nanostructured materials

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum theoretical framework for Kerr-type nanostructured materials, enabling single-photon nonlinear effects in integrated solid-state devices through enhanced field confinement and material properties.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum model for Kerr nonlinearities in nanostructured materials, proposing a practical approach for single-photon nonlinear optics in solid-state systems.

Findings

Conditions for single-photon nonlinear behavior identified

Potential for integrated quantum photonic devices demonstrated

Material and nanostructure design guidelines provided

Abstract

We employ a quantum theory of the nonlinear optical response from an actual solid-state material possessing an intrinsic bulk contribution to the third-order nonlinear susceptibility (Kerr-type nonlinearity), which can be arbitrarily nanostructured to achieve diffraction-limited electromagnetic field confinement. By calculating the zero-time delay second-order correlation of the cavity field, we set the conditions for using semiconductor or insulating materials with near-infrared energy gaps as efficient means to obtain single-photon nonlinear behavior in prospective solid-state integrated devices, alternative to ideal sources of quantum radiation such as, e.g., single two-level emitters.