InGaP $χ^{(2)}$ integrated photonics platform for broadband, ultra-efficient nonlinear conversion and entangled photon generation

Abstract: Nonlinear optics plays an important role in many areas of science and technology. The advance of nonlinear optics is empowered by the discovery and utilization of materials with growing optical nonlinearity. Here we demonstrate an indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) integrated photonics platform for broadband, ultra-efficient second-order nonlinear optics. The InGaP nanophotonic waveguide enables second-harmonic generation with a normalized efficiency of $128,000\%$/W/cm$^2$ at 1.55 $\mu$m pump wavelength, nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the state of the art in the telecommunication C band. Further, we realize an ultra-bright, broadband time-energy entangled photon source with a pair generation rate of 97 GHz/mW and a bandwidth of 115 nm centered at the telecommunication C band. The InGaP entangled photon source shows high coincidence-to-accidental counts ratio CAR $>10^4$ and two-photon interference visibility $>98\%$. The InGaP second-order nonlinear photonics platform will have wide-ranging implications for non-classical light generation, optical signal processing, and quantum networking.