Enhanced up-conversion of entangled photons and quantum interference under localized field in nanostructures

TL;DR

This paper theoretically demonstrates that coupling entangled photons with nanostructures significantly enhances up-conversion efficiency, with quantum interference effects playing a key role, offering insights for nonlinear optics with few photons.

Contribution

The study provides an analytical and numerical analysis of entangled photon up-conversion in nanostructures, revealing enhancement mechanisms and interference effects not previously detailed.

Findings

Nanostructure coupling enhances up-conversion probability.

Quantum correlations and decay rates influence enhancement.

Quantum interference explains non-monotonic dependencies.

Abstract

We theoretically investigate up-conversion process of entangled two photons on a dimer molecule, which is coupled by a cavity or nanoscale metallic structure. Within one-dimensional input-output theory, the propagators of the photons are derived analytically and the up-conversion probability is calculated numerically. It is shown that the coupling with the nanostructure clearly enhances the process. We also find that the enhancement becomes further pronounced for some balanced system parameters such as the quantum correlation between photons, radiation decay rates and coupling between the nanostructure and molecule. The non-monotonic dependencies are reasonably explained in view of quantum interference between the coupled modes of the whole system. This result can provide a guideline for nonlinear optical reactions by weak light of a few photons.