Chalcogenide optical ring resonators for generating quantum-correlated photon pairs

An optical ring resonator comprising a closed loop core, a cladding layer, and one or more bus waveguides, wherein:

• the closed loop core is disposed in the cladding layer and comprises As2Se3 glass;
• the one or more bus waveguides are disposed in the cladding layer adjacent to the closed loop core, such that the one or more bus waveguides are optically coupled to the closed loop core;
• the closed loop core comprises a zero-dispersion wavelength within a telecommunication wavelength band;
• the closed loop core comprises a plurality of resonant modes, including a zero-dispersion resonant mode corresponding with the zero-dispersion wavelength and a plurality of paired resonant modes;
• the closed loop core comprises a phase matching bandwidth extending greater than ±40 nm from the zero-dispersion wavelength;
• and
• upon receipt of a plurality of pump photons comprising a pump wavelength, which comprises the zero-dispersion wavelength, the closed loop core is structurally configured to generate one or more quantum correlated photon pairs by a spontaneous four-wave mixing process at paired resonant modes corresponding with wavelengths within the phase matching bandwidth.

A method of generating one or more quantum correlated photon pairs, the method comprising:

• directing a plurality of pump photons comprising a pump wavelength and generated using an optical pump into an input end of at least one of one or more bus waveguides of an optical ring resonator, wherein the one or more bus waveguides are disposed within a cladding layer of the optical ring resonator, adjacent and optically coupled to a closed loop core, such that the plurality of pump photons propagate from the at least one bus waveguide into the closed loop core and propagate within the closed loop core, thereby generating one or more quantum correlated photon pairs by a spontaneous four-wave mixing process, wherein the closed loop core comprises:
• As2Se3 glass;
• a zero-dispersion wavelength within a telecommunication wavelength band, wherein the pump wavelength of the plurality of pump photons comprises the zero-dispersion wavelength
• a plurality of resonant modes including a zero-dispersion resonant mode corresponding with the zero-dispersion wavelength and a plurality of paired resonant modes;
• and
• a phase matching bandwidth extending greater than ±40 nm from the zero-dispersion wavelength;
• wherein the one or more quantum correlated photon pairs are generated by the-four wave mixing process at paired resonant modes corresponding with wavelengths within the phase matching bandwidth.

A method of manufacturing an optical ring resonator, the method comprising:

• depositing an As2Se3 film on a first material layer, wherein the first material layer is disposed on a substrate layer;
• depositing a patterned resist layer comprising a closed loop pattern on the As2Se3 film;
• etching an exposed portion of the As2Se3 film, thereby retaining a patterned As2Se3 film on the first material layer, the patterned As2Se3 film comprising the closed loop pattern of the patterned resist layer;
• removing the patterned resist layer;
• and
• depositing a second material layer on the first material layer and the patterned As2Se3 film, such that the first material layer and the second material layer collectively form a cladding layer and the patterned As2Se3 film comprising the closed loop pattern is disposed within the cladding layer, thereby forming a closed loop core.