Astronomical photonics in the context of infrared interferometry and high-resolution spectroscopy

We review the potential of Astrophotonics, a relatively young field at the interface between photonics and astronomical instrumentation, for spectro-interferometry. We review some fundamental aspects of photonic science that drove the emer- gence of astrophotonics, and highlight the achievements in observational astrophysics. We analyze the prospects for further technological development also considering the potential synergies with other fields of physics (e.g. non-linear optics in condensed matter physics). We also stress the central role of fiber optics in routing and transporting light, delivering complex filters, or interfacing instruments and telescopes, more specifically in the context of a growing usage of adaptive optics.Comment: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation conference, June 2016, 21 pages, 10 Figure

Near infrared and optical beam steering and frequency splitting in air holes-in-silicon inverse photonic crystals

We present the design of a dielectric inverse photonic crystal structure that couples line-defect waveguide propagating modes into highly directional beams of controllable directionality. The structure utilizes a triangular lattice made of air holes drilled in an infinitely thick Si slab, and it is designed for operation in the near-infrared and optical regime. The structure operation is based on the excitation and manipulation of dark dielectric surface states, in particular on the tailoring of the dark states’ coupling to outgoing radiation. This coupling is achieved with the use of properly designed external corrugations. The structure adapts and matches modes that travel through the photonic crystal and the free space. Moreover it facilitates the steering of the outgoing waves, is found to generate well-defined, spatially and spectrally isolated beams, and may serve as a frequency splitting component designed for operation in the near-infrared regime and in particular the telecom optical wavelength band. The design complies with the state-of-the-art Si nanofabrication technology and can be directly scaled for operation in the optical regime

Quantum key distribution session with 16-dimensional photonic states

The secure transfer of information is an important problem in modern telecommunications. Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides a solution to this problem by using individual quantum systems to generate correlated bits between remote parties, that can be used to extract a secret key. QKD with D-dimensional quantum channels provides security advantages that grow with increasing D. However, the vast majority of QKD implementations has been restricted to two dimensions. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of using higher dimensions for real-world quantum cryptography by performing, for the first time, a fully automated QKD session based on the BB84 protocol with 16-dimensional quantum states. Information is encoded in the single-photon transverse momentum and the required states are dynamically generated with programmable spatial light modulators. Our setup paves the way for future developments in the field of experimental high-dimensional QKD.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Past Achievements and Future Challenges in 3D Photonic Metamaterials

Photonic metamaterials are man-made structures composed of tailored micro- or nanostructured metallo-dielectric sub-wavelength building blocks that are densely packed into an effective material. This deceptively simple, yet powerful, truly revolutionary concept allows for achieving novel, unusual, and sometimes even unheard-of optical properties, such as magnetism at optical frequencies, negative refractive indices, large positive refractive indices, zero reflection via impedance matching, perfect absorption, giant circular dichroism, or enhanced nonlinear optical properties. Possible applications of metamaterials comprise ultrahigh-resolution imaging systems, compact polarization optics, and cloaking devices. This review describes the experimental progress recently made fabricating three-dimensional metamaterial structures and discusses some remaining future challenges

Reconfigurable Photonic Crystal Cavities

Photonic crystals are optical structures that contain a periodic modulation of their refractive index, allowing them to control light in recent years of an unprecedented capacity. Photonic crystals may take on a variety of configurations, in particular the photonic crystal cavity, which may “hold” light in small volumes comparable to the light’s wavelength. This capability to spatially confine light opens up countless possibilities to explore for research in telecommunications, quantum electrodynamics experiments and high-resolution sensor applications. However, the vast functionality potentially made available by photonic crystal cavities is limited due to the difficulty in redefining photonic crystal components once they are formed in their (typically) solid material. The work presented in this thesis investigates several approaches to overcome this issue by reconfiguring photonic crystal cavities

Photonic Entanglement for Fundamental Tests and Quantum Communication

Entanglement is at the heart of fundamental tests of quantum mechanics like tests of Bell-inequalities and, as discovered lately, of quantum computation and communication. Their technological advance made entangled photons play an outstanding role in entanglement physics. We give a generalized concept of qubit entanglement and review the state of the art of photonic experiments.Comment: 54 pages, 33 figures. Review article submitted to QIC (Rinton

Reconfigurable Photonic Crystal Cavities

Photonic crystals are optical structures that contain a periodic modulation of their refractive index, allowing them to control light in recent years of an unprecedented capacity. Photonic crystals may take on a variety of configurations, in particular the photonic crystal cavity, which may “hold” light in small volumes comparable to the light’s wavelength. This capability to spatially confine light opens up countless possibilities to explore for research in telecommunications, quantum electrodynamics experiments and high-resolution sensor applications. However, the vast functionality potentially made available by photonic crystal cavities is limited due to the difficulty in redefining photonic crystal components once they are formed in their (typically) solid material. The work presented in this thesis investigates several approaches to overcome this issue by reconfiguring photonic crystal cavities