Picosecond Pulsed Squeezing in Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Strip-Loaded Waveguides at Telecommunication Wavelengths

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates picosecond pulsed quadrature squeezing in a thin-film lithium niobate waveguide, showcasing a scalable, integrated platform for broadband quantum squeezing at telecommunication wavelengths.

Contribution

It introduces a single-pass, integrated waveguide approach for pulsed squeezing, achieving measurable squeezing levels suitable for quantum photonics.

Findings

Up to -0.33 dB measured squeezing with low peak powers

Inferred on-chip squeezing of -1.7 dB

Potential for broadband quantum squeezing applications

Abstract

Achieving high level of pulsed squeezing, in a platform which offers integration and stability, is a key requirement for continuous-variable quantum information processing. Typically highly squeezed states are achieved with narrow band optical cavities and bulk crystals, limiting scalability. Using single-pass parametric down conversion in an integrated optical device, we demonstrate quadrature squeezing of picosecond pulses in a thin-film lithium niobate strip-loaded waveguide. For on-chip peak powers of less than 0.3 W, we measure up to -0.33$\pm$0.07 dB of squeezing with an inferred on-chip value of -1.7$\pm$0.4 dB. This work highlights the potential of the strip-loaded waveguide platform for broadband squeezing applications and the development of photonic quantum technologies.