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arXiv · 2603.11471

Quantum photonic frequency processor on thin-film lithium niobate

Abstract

The rapid development of photonic quantum information processing necessitates precise and programmable control over optical frequency, a capability critical not only for achieving photon indistinguishability but also for exploiting a virtually unbounded frequency dimension. However, efficient and scalable processing of frequency-encoded photon states remains challenging, primarily due to the limited nonlinear optical interaction in most photonic materials. Here, by harnessing the high-performance thin-film lithium niobate electro-optic (EO) platform, we demonstrate an integrated quantum photonic frequency processor that enables coherent and programmable control of photon frequency with high precision. We establish a scalable architecture for frequency-encoded quantum information processing. Using a fully integrated photonic chip, we realize a universal set of frequency-encoded quantum logic gates, including arbitrary single-qubit rotation gates and the two-qubit controlled-phase gate. Furthermore, we demonstrate its application in high fidelity characterization of frequency-bin entangled states. Our work reveals the unprecedented potential of utilizing the frequency degree of freedom in integrated quantum photonic systems.

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Ran Yang, Wei Zhou, Dong-Jie Guo, Hong-Ming Ke, Linrunde Tao, Ying Wei, Jia-Chen Duan, Yu Cui, Kunpeng Jia, Zhenda Xie, Zhongjin Lin, Xinlun Cai, Yan-Xiao Gong, Shi-Ning Zhu. 2026-03-12. Quantum photonic frequency processor on thin-film lithium niobate. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.11471

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