This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 9762, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction (if any), and Conference Committee listing.

Nanodiamonds containing color-centers produce non-quenching fluorescence that is easily detected. This makes them useful for cellular, proteomic and genomic applications. However, fluorescent nanodiamonds have yet to become popular in the biomedical research community as labeling reagents. We discuss production of nanodiamonds with distinct color-centers and assess their biocompatibility and techniques for bioconjugation. Fluorescent diamonds were fabricated by electron irradiation of high-pressure, high-temperature micron-sized diamonds which generated diamonds with vacancy-related defects (V). These diamonds were annealed to create nitrogen vacancy (NV)-centers then following a milling step were fractionated into nanoparticle sizes of 30, 60, and 95 nm. Optical characterization of Vand NV-center diamonds demonstrated fluorescence in two distinct green and red channels, respectively. In vitro studies demonstrated that these nanodiamonds are biocompatible and readily taken up by murine macrophage cells. Quantification of NV-center nanodiamond uptake by flow cytometry, showed that uptake was independent of nanodiamond size. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that NV-center nanodiamonds accumulate within the cytoplasm of these cells. NV-center nanodiamonds were then conjugated with streptavidin using a short polyethylene chain as linker. Conjugation was confirmed via a catalytic assay employing biotinylated-horseradish peroxidase. We present a technique for large-scale production of biocompatible conjugated V- or NV-center nanodiamonds. Functional testing is essential for standardization of fluorescent nanodiamond bioconjugates and quality control. Large-scale production of bioconjugated fluorescent nanodiamonds is crucial to their development as novel tools for biological and medical applications.

The Small Photon Entangling Quantum System (SPEQS) is an integrated instrument where the pump, photon pair source and detectors are combined within a single optical tray and electronics package. This footprint enables the instrument to be placed onboard nanosatellites or the CubeLab facility within the International Space Station. The first mission to understand the different environmental conditions that may affect the operation of an entangled photon source in low Earth orbit (LEO) is underway. Here we present a work towards a violation of Bell's inequality with a brightness and visibility that can facilitate quantum key distribution (QKD) from space to ground.

Unlike currently implemented encryption schemes, Quantum Key Distribution provides a secure way of generating and distributing a key among two parties. Although a multitude of research platforms has been developed, the integration of QKD units within classical communication systems remains a tremendous challenge. The recently achieved maturity of integrated photonic technologies could be exploited to create miniature QKD add-ons that could extend the primary function of various existing systems such as mobile devices or optical stations. In this work we report on an integrated optics module enabling secure short-distance communication for, e.g., quantum access schemes. Using BB84-like protocols, Alice's mobile low-cost device can exchange secure key and information everywhere within a trusted node network. The new optics platform (35×20×8mm) compatible with current smartphone's technology generates NIR faint polarised laser pulses with 100MHz repetition rate. Fully automated beam tracking and live basis-alignment on Bob's side ensure user-friendly operation with a quantum link efficiency as high as 50% stable over a few seconds.

We propose the adaptive quadrature detection for multicarrier continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD). A multicarrier CVQKD scheme uses Gaussian subcarrier continuous variables for the information conveying and Gaussian sub-channels for the transmission. The proposed multicarrier detection scheme dynamically adapts to the subchannel conditions using a corresponding statistics which is provided by our sophisticated sub-channel estimation procedure. The sub-channel estimation phase determines the transmittance coefficients of the sub-channels, which information are used further in the adaptive quadrature decoding process. We define a technique to estimate the transmittance conditions of the sub-channels. We introduce the terms of single and collective adaptive quadrature detection. We prove the achievable error probabilities, the signal-to-noise ratios, and quantify the attributes of the framework. The adaptive detection scheme allows to utilize the extra resources of multicarrier CVQKD and to maximize the amount of transmittable valuable information in diverse measurement and transmission conditions. The framework is particularly convenient for experimental CVQKD scenarios.

Rare-earth-ion doped crystals are state-of-the-art materials for optical quantum memories and quantum transducers between optical and microwave photons. Here we describe our progress towards a nanophotonic quantum memory based on a rare-earth (Neodymium) doped yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) photonic crystal resonator. The Purcell-enhanced coupling of the 883 nm transitions of Neodymium (Nd³⁺) ions to the nano-resonator results in increased optical depth, which could in principle facilitate highly efficient photon storage via cavity impedance matching. The atomic frequency comb (AFC) memory protocol can be implemented in the Nd:YSO nano-resonator by efficient optical pumping into the long-lived Zeeman state. Coherent optical signals can be stored and retrieved from the AFC memory. We currently measure a storage efficiency on par with a bulk crystal Nd:YSO memory that is millimeters long. Our results will enable multiplexed on-chip quantum storage and thus quantum repeater devices using rare-earth-ions.

Kerr optical frequency combs are obtained by pumping an ultra-high Q whispering-gallery mode resonator with a continuous-wave laser. Here, we use quantum Langevin equations to investigate the non-classical behavior of these combs when pumped below and above threshold. Under threshold, we study the phenomenon of spontaneous four-wave mixing, while above threshold, we investigate the phenomenon of two-mode squeezing. For both the below- and above-threshold cases, we find that an essential parameter is the ratio between out-coupling and total losses, which directly determines the efficiency of the detected spontaneous noise or squeezing spectra.

Realization of efficient light-light control is of great technological and practical importance, from both energy and information security perspective. We show that significant four wave mixing efficiency enhancement is viable in the highly nonlinear fiber with engineered longitudinal zero-dispersion wavelength. Dynamic measurement results confirm feasibility of controlling a watt-strong beam by few-photons in the dispersion-engineered parametric device. This method represents an exceptional new avenue for realization of devices capable of operating at a few-photon level.

Recent advances in silicon ring-resonator arrays have stimulated the development of topological lattices for photons, with potential applications in integrated photonic devices. Taking inspiration from ultracold atoms, we propose how such arrays can be extended into an additional synthetic dimension by coupling together the different modes of each ring resonator.¹ In this way, a 1D resonator chain can become an effective 2D system, while a 3D resonator array can be exploited as a 4D photonic lattice. As an example of the power of this approach, we discuss how to experimentally realise an optical analogue of the 4D quantum Hall effect for the first time. This opens up the way towards the exploration of higher-dimensional lattices in integrated photonics.

Artificial magnetic fields for photons can significantly enrich the physics of coupled ring resonator arrays. We push this further to discuss how, under the addition of a harmonic potential, the photonic eigenstates can be recognised as novel Landau levels in momentum space.¹ We present two realistic experimental proposals in which this physics could be realised. Firstly, we discuss how to extend the experiment of Hafezi et al.,² where the artificial magnetic field was created using link resonators in a 2D ring resonator array. Secondly, we expand on a proposal in which an effective 2D photonic lattice is realised in a 1D ring resonator chain by exploiting a synthetic dimension for photons.³ We show that momentum-space Landau levels would have clear signatures in spectroscopic measurements in such experiments, and we discuss the insights gained in this way into geometrical energy bands and particles in magnetic fields.⁴

We demonstrate successful cooling of ultrathin fiber tapers and their coupling with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds at cryogenic temperatures. Nanodiamonds containing multiple NV centers are deposited on ultrathin fiber tapers with diameters ranging from 450-500 nm. The fiber tapers were successfully cooled down to 9 K with our special fiber mount and an optimization of cooling speed. The fluorescence coupled with the fiber tapers showed characteristic sharp zero-phonon lines of neutral and negatively charged NV centers. The present demonstration is important for the future NV-based quantum information devices and sensitive nanoscale cryogenic magnetometry.

A wide band-gap semiconductor with a long history of growth and device fabrication, silicon carbide (SiC) has attracted recent attention for hosting several defects with properties similar to the nitrogen vacancy center in diamond. In the 4H polytype, these include the silicon vacancy center and the neutral divacancy, which have zero phonon lines (ZPL) in the near-IR and may be useful for quantum information and nanoscale sensing. For many such applications, it is critical to increase the defect emission into the ZPL by coupling the emission to an optical cavity. Accordingly, we have pursued the fabrication of high quality 1D nanobeam photonic crystal cavities (PCCs) in 4H-SiC, using homoepitaxially grown material and a photoelectrochemical etch to provide optical isolation. These PCCs are distinctive in their high theoretical quality factors (Q > 10⁶) and low modal volumes (V < 0.5 (λ/n)³). Here, we present arrays of nanobeam PCCs with varied lattice constant containing embedded silicon vacancy defects generated by electron irradiation, to assess its viability as a method for defect creation. The lattice constant variation allows us to create devices with modes spanning the entire range of the silicon vacancy emission. We accordingly demonstrate nanobeam PCCs with resonant modes near both ZPLs of the silicon vacancy defect. Moreover, we measure devices with the highest Q cavity modes coupled to point defect emission in SiC yet reported, providing evidence that electron irradiation can be used to generate point defects while maintaining high quality optical devices.

We characterize spontaneous parametric downconversion in a domain-engineered, type-II periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal using seeded emission and single-photon techniques. Using continuous-wave (CW) pumping at 775 nm wavelength, the signal and idler are at 1532.5 nm and 1567.5 nm, respectively. The domain-engineered crystal simultaneously phasematches signal and idler pairs: [H(1532.5 nm), V(1567.5 nm)] and [V(1532.5 nm), H(1567.5 nm)]. We observe the tuning curves of these processes through difference-frequency generation and through CW fiberassisted, single-photon spectroscopy. These measurements indicate good matching in amplitude and bandwidth of the two processes and that the crystal can in principle be used effectively to generate polarization-entangled photon pairs.