arXiv subjects

Yi-Han Luo

Publications and source records attributed to Yi-Han Luo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An ultralow-loss integrated photonic platform for discrete-variable quantum information processing

Photonic integrated circuits offer a scalable and robust route toward quantum information technologies by consolidating photon sources and linear optical networks onto compact, wafer-manufacturable chips. Although silicon photonics has enabled diverse discrete-variable quantum breakthroughs -- spanning multiphoton entanglement, quantum networking, and photonic qubit fusion for quantum computing -- scaling these platforms beyond proof-of-principle demonstrations remains severely constrained by a critical system-level bottleneck. Optical loss compounds rapidly across photon generation, routing, and state analysis, causing multiphoton generation probabilities to plummet exponentially as circuit depth and complexity grow. Here we overcome this rate-loss barrier by demonstrating a monolithic, ultralow-loss silicon nitride (Si$_3$N$_4$) integrated photonic platform engineered for high-performance discrete-variable quantum information processing. Our architecture seamlessly integrates narrowband photon-pair sources with low-loss qubit-fusion circuits and reconfigurable state-analysis interferometers. The on-chip sources prepare Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) states with a fidelity of 0.9875(3) and exhibit near-unity photon indistinguishability, yielding a heralded Hong-Ou-Mandel interference visibility of 0.990(6). By executing on-chip fusion of two EPR states, we synthesize and characterize four-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states with a record fidelity of 0.943(8) and a fourfold count rate of 27 Hz -- more than two orders of magnitude higher than previous silicon-photonic implementations. Combined with standard CMOS-compatible fabrication on 150-mm-diameter wafers, these results establish ultralow-loss Si$_3$N$_4$ integrated photonics as a definitive, manufacturable platform for deployable, large-scale quantum information processors.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Kramers-Kronig causality in integrated photonics: The spectral tension between ultraviolet transition and mid-infrared absorption

Dispersion engineering via geometric confinement is essential to integrated photonics, enabling phenomena such as soliton microcombs, supercontinua, parametric oscillators, and entangled photons. However, prevailing methodologies rely on semi-empirical Sellmeier models that assume idealized material purity, neglecting the pronounced dispersion shifts induced by residual impurities like hydrogen-related bonds. Here, we demonstrate that these residual bonds fundamentally alter the dispersion landscape spanning from the ultraviolet (UV) to the mid-infrared (MIR) spectra. Specifically, they introduce MIR vibrational absorption while simultaneously modifying UV electronic transition, shifting the bandgap and UV pole. We show that the spectral tension between these UV and MIR modifications dictates the group velocity dispersion from the visible to the near-infrared (NIR) via the Kramers-Kronig causality. We experimentally validate this phenomenon through systematic characterization of broadband loss and dispersion in ultralow-loss silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits. By rigorously incorporating these effects, we bridge the gap between empirical fitting and predictive physical modelling. Our study resolves long-standing discrepancies in dispersion engineering, providing precision control essential for next-generation integrated photonics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Metrology-grade mid-infrared spectroscopy for multi-dimensional perception

The mid-infrared spectral window is essential for molecular fingerprinting and atmospheric sensing, yet unlocking its full potential is currently constrained by a fundamental instrumental trade-off: existing systems cannot simultaneously deliver broad bandwidth, high photon flux, and metrological frequency fidelity. Here, we resolve this bottleneck by demonstrating a metrology-grade spectroscopic system based on difference frequency generation, driven by widely tunable, near-infrared diode lasers traceable to atomic standards. Our system achieves continuous tunability across the 3-3.7 $\mu$m atmospheric window and delivers output power exceeding 45 mW with an absolute frequency accuracy of 7.2 MHz. We harness this convergence to overcome a critical barrier in integrated photonics, unambiguously identifying and eliminating hydrogen-induced absorption in silicon nitride microresonators to achieve an 88-fold reduction in optical loss. We further reveal multi-phonon absorption in the silica cladding as the fundamental limit to mid-infrared integrated photonics. Finally, we demonstrate the system's versatility through scattering-resilient LiDAR capable of penetrating optically dense fog, and dual-modality sensing that simultaneously retrieves target distance and chemical composition. By unifying the rigor of frequency metrology with the versatility of broadband sensing, this architecture establishes a new paradigm for multi-dimensional perception in complex environments.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

A scalable near-visible integrated photon-pair source for satellite quantum science

Quantum state distribution over vast distances is essential for global-scale quantum networks and fundamental test of quantum physics at space scale. While satellite platforms have demonstrated thousand-kilometer entanglement distribution, quantum key distribution and quantum teleportation with ground, future constellations and deep-space missions demand photon sources that are robust, compact, and power-efficient. Integrated photonics offers a scalable solution, yet a critical spectral gap persists. Although telecom-band integrated photon-pair sources are well established, near-visible photons offer distinct advantages for satellite-to-ground links by mitigating diffraction loss and maximizing the collection efficiency of optical telescopes. Scalable integrated sources in this regime have remained elusive due to the fundamental challenge of achieving anomalous dispersion in materials transparent at visible wavelengths. Here we bridge this gap by demonstrating an integrated near-visible photon-pair source based on a wide-bandgap, ultralow-loss, silicon nitride (Si$_3$N$_4$) microresonator. By engineering the dispersion of higher-order waveguide modes, we overcome the intrinsic normal dispersion limit to achieve efficient phase matching. The device exhibits a spectral brightness of 4.87$\times$10$^7$ pairs/s/mW$^2$/GHz and a narrow photon linewidth of 357 MHz. We report high-purity heralded single-photon generation with a heralding rate up to 2.3 MHz and a second-order correlation function as low as 0.0041. Furthermore, we observe energy-time entanglement with 98.4% interference visibility, violating the CHSH limit even at flux exceeding 40.6 million pairs/s. Combined with the proven radiation hardness of Si$_3$N$_4$, this source constitutes a flight-ready hardware foundation for daylight quantum communications and protocols requiring on-orbit multiphoton interference.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Light coupling to photonic integrated circuits using optimized lensed fibers

Efficient and reliable light coupling between optical fibers and photonic integrated circuits has arguably been the most essential issue in integrated photonics for optical interconnects, nonlinear signal conversion, neuromorphic computing, and quantum information processing. A commonly used approach is to use inverse tapers interfacing with lensed fibers, particularly for waveguides of relatively low refractive index, such as silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon oxynitride, and lithium niobate. This approach simultaneously enables broad operation bandwidth, high coupling efficiency, and simplified fabrication. Although diverse taper designs have been invented and characterized to date, lensed fibers play equally important roles here, yet their optimization has long been underexplored. Here, we fill this gap and introduce a comprehensive co-optimization strategy that synergistically refines the geometries of the taper and the lensed fiber. By incorporating the genuine lensed fiber's shape into the simulation, we accurately capture its non-Gaussian emission profile, thereby nullifying the widely accepted approximation based on a paraxial Gaussian mode. We further characterize many lensed fibers and Si3N4 tapers of varying shapes using different fabrication processes. Our experimental and simulation results show remarkable agreement, both achieving maximum coupling efficiencies exceeding 80% per facet. Finally, we summarize the optimal choices of lensed fibers and Si3N4 tapers that can be directly deployed in modern CMOS foundries for scalable manufacturing of Si3N4 photonic integrated circuits. Our study not only contributes to light-coupling solutions but is also critical for photonic packaging and optoelectronic assemblies that are currently revolutionizing data centers and AI.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Hybrid-integrated dark-pulse microcombs towards visible light spectrum

Leveraging hybrid integration, we demonstrate dark-pulse formation at 780-nm wavelength band in integrated Si$_3$N$_4$ microresonators driven by high-power AlGaAs-based chip-scale lasers. The device outputs coherent frequency combs with electronically detectable repetition rates down to 20 GHz, paving a route to efficient and compact atom-chip interfaces for spectroscopy, metrology and sensing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

A chip-based optoelectronic-oscillator frequency comb

Microresonator-based Kerr frequency combs ("Kerr microcombs") constitute chip-scale frequency combs of broad spectral bandwidth and repetition rate ranging from gigahertz to terahertz. An appealing application exploiting microcombs' coherence and large repetition rate is microwave and millimeter-wave generation. Latest endeavor applying two-point optical frequency division (OFD) on photonic-chip-based microcombs has created microwaves with exceptionally low phase noise. Nevertheless, microcomb-based OFD still requires extensive active locking, additional lasers, and external RF or microwave sources, as well as sophisticated initiation. Here we demonstrate a simple and entirely passive (no active locking) architecture, which incorporates an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) and symphonizes a coherent microcomb and a low-noise microwave spontaneously. Our OEO microcomb leverages state-of-the-art integrated chip devices including a high-power DFB laser, a broadband silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator, an ultralow-loss silicon nitride microresonator, and a high-speed photodetector. Each can be manufactured in large volume with low cost and high yield using established CMOS and III-V foundries. Our system synergizes a microcomb of 10.7 GHz repetition rate and an X-band microwave with phase noise of $-$97/$-$126/$-$130 dBc/Hz at 1/10/100 kHz Fourier frequency offset, yet does not demand active locking, additional lasers, and external RF or microwave sources. With potential to be fully integrated, our OEO microcomb can become an invaluable technology and building block for microwave photonics, radio-over-fiber, and optical communication.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Arbitrary-phase locking of fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers

Optical interferometers are extensively used in fundamental physics test, gravitational wave detection, quantum metrology, topological photonics, and quantum information processing. Fiber-based interferometers are compact, robust and cheap, thus are ubiquitously deployed. However, the optical phase in fiber interferometers is sensitive to ambient perturbation, resulting in compromised phase sensing precision. Therefore, phase control, shifting and stabilization of fiber interferometers is essential. Methods to create stable interference patterns and to lock a fiber interferometer at arbitrary phase have been shown, which however are sophisticated, bulky and delicate, preventing wider application in harsh environment outside laboratories or in space. Here we demonstrate a new method for arbitrary-phase locking of fiber unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers. Compared to existing method, our method is simpler, more robust and more compact. We showcase the preparation and characterization of narrow-band energy-time-entanglement photon state generated in integrated nonlinear microresonators, where two-photon interference visibility reaching 0.993(6) is enabled. Our method constitutes a critical building block for photonic quantum network, and is useful to emerging single-photon interference in curved space-time that facilitates exploration of the interface of quantum mechanics and general relativity.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

An alkali-referenced vector spectrum analyzer for visible-light integrated photonics

Integrated photonics has reformed our information society by offering on-chip optical signal synthesis, processing and detection with reduced size, weight and power consumption. As such, it has been successfully established in the near-infrared (NIR) telecommunication bands. With the soaring demand in miniaturized systems for biosensing, quantum information and transportable atomic clocks, extensive endeavors have been stacked on translating integrated photonics into the visible spectrum, i.e. visible-light integrated photonics. Various innovative visible-light integrated devices have been demonstrated, such as lasers, frequency combs, and atom traps, highlighting the capacity and prospect to create chip-based optical atomic clocks that can make timing and frequency metrology ubiquitous. A pillar to the development of visible-light integrated photonics is characterization techniques featuring high frequency resolution and wide spectral coverage, which however remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate a vector spectrum analyzer (VSA) for visible-light integrated photonics, offering spectral bandwidth from 766 to 795 nm and frequency resolution of 415 kHz. The VSA is rooted on a widely chirping, high-power, narrow-linewidth, mode-hop-free laser around 780 nm, which is frequency-doubled from the near-infrared via an efficient, broadband CPLN waveguide. The VSA is further referenced to hyperfine structures of rubidium and potassium atoms, enabling 8.1 MHz frequency accuracy. We apply our VSA to showcase the characterization of loss, dispersion and phase response of passive integrated devices, as well as densely spaced spectra of mode-locked lasers. Combining operation in the NIR and visible spectra, our VSA allows characterization bandwidth exceeding an octave and can be an invaluable diagnostic tool for spectroscopy, nonlinear optical processing, imaging and quantum interfaces to atomic devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Ultralow-loss integrated photonics enables bright, narrow-band, photon-pair sources

Photon-pair sources are critical building blocks for photonic quantum systems. Leveraging Kerr nonlinearity and cavity-enhanced spontaneous four-wave mixing, chip-scale photon-pair sources can be created using microresonators built on photonic integrated circuit. For practical applications, a high microresonator quality factor $Q$ is mandatory to magnify photon-pair sources' brightness and reduce their linewidth. The former is proportional to $Q^4$, while the latter is inversely proportional to $Q$. Here, we demonstrate an integrated, microresonator-based, narrow-band photon-pair source. The integrated microresonator, made of silicon nitride and fabricated using a standard CMOS foundry process, features ultralow loss down to $3$ dB/m and intrinsic $Q$ factor exceeding $10^7$. The photon-pair source has brightness of $1.17\times10^9$ Hz/mW$^2$/GHz and linewidth of $25.9$ MHz, both of which are record values for silicon-photonics-based quantum light source. It further enables a heralded single-photon source with heralded second-order correlation $g^{(2)}_\mathrm{h}(0)=0.0037(5)$, as well as a time-bin entanglement source with a raw visibility of $0.973(9)$. Our work evidences the global potential of ultralow-loss integrated photonics to create novel quantum light sources and circuits, catalyzing efficient, compact and robust interfaces to quantum communication and networks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

A chip-integrated comb-based microwave oscillator

Low-noise microwave oscillators are cornerstones for wireless communication, radar and clocks. Optical frequency combs have enabled photonic microwaves with unrivalled noise performance and bandwidth. Emerging interest is to generate microwaves using chip-based frequency combs, namely microcombs. Here, we demonstrate the first, fully integrated, microcomb-based, microwave oscillator chip. The chip, powered by a microelectronic circuit, leverages hybrid integration of a DFB laser, a nonlinear microresonator, and a high-speed photodetector. Each component represents the best of its own class, yet allows large-volume manufacturing with low cost in CMOS foundries. The hybrid chip outputs an ultralow-noise laser of 6.9 Hz linewidth, a microcomb of 10.7 GHz repetition rate, and a 10.7 GHz microwave of 6.3 mHz linewidth -- all three in one entity of 76 mm$^2$ size.The microwave phase noise reaches -75/-105/-130 dBc/Hz at 1/10/100 kHz Fourier offset frequency. Our results can reinvigorate our information society for communication, sensing, timing and precision measurement.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

A wideband, high-resolution vector spectrum analyzer for integrated photonics

The analysis of optical spectra - emission or absorption -- has been arguably the most powerful approach for discovering and understanding matters. The invention and development of many kinds of spectrometers have equipped us with versatile yet ultra-sensitive diagnostic tools for trace gas detection, isotope analysis, and resolving hyperfine structures of atoms and molecules. With proliferating data and information, urgent and demanding requirements have been placed today on spectrum analysis with ever-increasing spectral bandwidth and frequency resolution. These requirements are especially stringent for broadband laser sources that carry massive information, and for dispersive devices used in information processing systems. In addition, spectrum analyzers are expected to probe the device's phase response where extra information is encoded. Here we demonstrate a novel vector spectrum analyzer (VSA) that is capable of characterizing passive devices and active laser sources in one setup. Such a dual-mode VSA can measure loss, phase response and dispersion properties of passive devices. It also can coherently map a broadband laser spectrum into the RF domain. The VSA features a bandwidth of 55.1 THz (1260 to 1640 nm), frequency resolution of 471 kHz, and dynamic range of 56 dB. Meanwhile, our fiber-based VSA is compact and robust. It requires neither high-speed modulators and photodetectors, nor any active feedback control. Finally, we successfully employ our VSA for applications including characterization of integrated dispersive waveguides, mapping frequency comb spectra, and coherent light detection and ranging (LiDAR). Our VSA presents an innovative approach for device analysis and laser spectroscopy, and can play a critical role in future photonic systems and applications for sensing, communication, imaging, and quantum information processing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Programmable access to microresonator solitons with modulational sideband heating

Dissipative Kerr solitons formed in high-$Q$ optical microresonators provide a route to miniaturized optical frequency combs that can revolutionize precision measurements, spectroscopy, sensing, and communication. In the last decade, a myriad of integrated material platforms have been extensively studied and developed to create photonic-chip-based soliton combs. However, the photo-thermal effect in integrated optical microresonators has been a major issue preventing simple and reliable soliton generation. Several sophisticated techniques to circumvent the photo-thermal effect have been developed. In addition, instead of the single-soliton state, emerging applications in microwave photonics and frequency metrology prefer multi-soliton states. Here we demonstrate an approach to manage the photo-thermal effect and facilitate soliton generation. The approach is based on a single phase-modulated pump, where the generated blue-detuned sideband synergizes with the carrier and thermally stabilizes the microresonator. We apply this technique and demonstrate deterministic soliton generation of 19.97 GHz repetition rate in an integrated silicon nitride microresonator. Furthermore, we develop a program to automatically address to target $N-$soliton state, in addition to the single-soliton state, with near 100% success rate and as short as 10 s time consumption. Our method is valuable for soliton generation in essentially any platforms even with strong photo-thermal effect, and can promote wider applications of soliton frequency comb systems for microwave photonics, telecommunication and frequency metrology.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Frequency-comb-linearized, widely tunable lasers for coherent ranging

Tunable lasers, with the ability to continuously adjust their emission wavelengths, have found widespread applications across various fields such as biomedical imaging, coherent ranging, optical communications and spectroscopy. In these applications, a wide chirp range is advantageous for large spectral coverage and high frequency resolution. Besides, the frequency accuracy and precision also depend critically on the chirp linearity of the laser. While extensive efforts have been made on the development of many kinds of frequency-agile, widely tunable, narrow-linewidth lasers, wideband yet precise methods to characterize and to linearize laser chirp dynamics are also demanded. Here we present an approach to characterize laser chirp dynamics using an optical frequency comb. The instantaneous laser frequency is tracked over terahertz bandwidth with 1 MHz interval. Using this approach we calibrate the chirp performance of twelve tunable lasers from Toptica, Santec, New Focus, EXFO and NKT that are commonly used in fiber optics and integrated photonics. In addition, with acquired knowledge on laser chirp dynamics, we demonstrate a simple frequency-linearization scheme that enables coherent ranging without any optical or electronic linearization units. Our approach not only presents a novel wideband, high-resolution laser spectroscopy, but is also critical for sensing applications with ever-increasing requirements on performance.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Foundry manufacturing of tight-confinement, dispersion-engineered, ultralow-loss silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit

The foundry development of integrated photonics has revolutionized today's optical interconnect and datacenters. Over the last decade, we have witnessed the rising of silicon nitride (Si$_3$N$_4$) integrated photonics, which is currently transferring from laboratory research to foundry manufacturing. The development and transition are triggered by the ultimate need of low optical loss offered by Si$_3$N$_4$, which is beyond the reach of silicon and III-V semiconductors. Combined with modest Kerr nonlinearity, tight optical confinement and dispersion engineering, Si$_3$N$_4$ has today become the leading platform for linear and Kerr nonlinear photonics, and has enabled chip-scale lasers featuring ultralow noise on par with table-top fiber lasers. However, so far all the reported fabrication processes of tight-confinement, dispersion-engineered Si$_3$N$_4$ photonic integrated circuit (PIC) with optical loss down to few dB/m have only been developed on 4-inch or smaller wafers. Yet, to transfer these processes to established CMOS foundries that typically operate 6-inch or even larger wafers, challenges remain. In this work, we demonstrate the first foundry-standard fabrication process of Si$_3$N$_4$ PIC with only 2.6 dB/m loss, thickness above 800 nm, and near 100% fabrication yield on 6-inch wafers. Such thick and ultralow-loss Si$_3$N$_4$ PIC enables low-threshold generation of soliton frequency combs. Merging with advanced heterogeneous integration, active ultralow-loss Si$_3$N$_4$ integrated photonics could pave an avenue to addressing future demands in our increasingly information-driven society.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Unconditional and robust quantum metrological advantage beyond NOON states

Quantum metrology employs quantum resources to enhance the measurement sensitivity beyond that can be achieved classically. While multi-photon entangled NOON states can in principle beat the shot-noise limit and reach the Heisenberg limit, high NOON states are difficult to prepare and fragile to photon loss which hinders it from reaching unconditional quantum metrological advantages. Here, we combine the idea of unconventional nonlinear interferometers and stimulated emission of squeezed light, previously developed for photonic quantum computer Jiuzhang, to propose and realize a new scheme that achieves a scalable, unconditional, and robust quantum metrological advantage. We observe a 5.8(1)-fold enhancement above the shot-noise limit in the Fisher information extracted per photon, without discounting for photon loss and imperfections, which outperforms ideal 5-NOON states. The Heisenberg-limited scaling, the robustness to external photon loss, and the ease-to-use of our method make it applicable in practical quantum metrology at low photon flux regime.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Recent Advances in Laser Self-Injection Locking to High-$Q$ Microresonators

The stabilization and manipulation of laser frequency by means of an external cavity are nearly ubiquitously used in fundamental research and laser applications. While most of the laser light transmits through the cavity, in the presence of some back-scattered light from the cavity to the laser, the self-injection locking effect can take place, which locks the laser emission frequency to the cavity mode of similar frequency. The self-injection locking leads to dramatic reduction of laser linewidth and noise. Using this approach, a common semiconductor laser locked to an ultrahigh-$Q$ microresonator can obtain sub-hertz linewidth, on par with state-of-the-art fiber lasers. Therefore it paves the way to manufacture high-performance semiconductor lasers with reduced footprint and cost. Moreover, with high laser power, the optical nonlinearity of the microresonator drastically changes the laser dynamics, offering routes for simultaneous pulse and frequency comb generation in the same microresonator. Particularly, integrated photonics technology, enabling components fabricated via semiconductor CMOS process, has brought increasing and extending interest to laser manufacturing using this method. In this article, we present a comprehensive tutorial on analytical and numerical methods of laser self-injection locking, as well a review of most recent theoretical and experimental achievements.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Robust Self-Testing of Multiparticle Entanglement

Quantum self-testing is a device-independent way to certify quantum states and measurements using only the input-output statistics, with minimal assumptions about the quantum devices. Because of the high demand on tolerable noise, however, experimental self-testing was limited to two-photon systems. Here, we demonstrate the first robust self-testing for multi-photon genuinely entangled quantum states. We prepare two examples of four-photon graph states, the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states with a fidelity of 0.957(2) and the linear cluster states with a fidelity of 0.945(2). Based on the observed input-output statistics, we certify the genuine four-photon entanglement and further estimate their qualities with respect to realistic noise in a device-independent manner.

quant-ph↗