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Coherent control of photon pairs via quantum interference between second- and third-order quantum nonlinear processes

Alessia Stefano*

Samuel E. Fontaine and J. E. Sipe

Marco Liscidini

  • *Contact author: alessia.stefano01@universitadipavia.it
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Phys. Rev. A 114, 043527 – Published 23 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/grcg-sjkp

Abstract

Genuine quantum interference between independent nonlinear processes of different order provides a route to coherent control that cannot be reduced to a classical field interference. Here we present an all-optical analog of coherent carrier injection by exploiting interference between second- and third-order quantum nonlinear processes in an integrated photonic platform. Photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion and spontaneous four-wave mixing coherently contribute to the same final two-photon state, resulting in a phase-dependent modulation of both the generation rate and the spectral structure of the emitted biphoton state. We illustrate the features of such interference and how it can be used to shape biphoton wave functions and their quantum correlations. These results identify interference between nonlinear processes of different order as a distinct form of coherent quantum control within quantum nonlinear optics.

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Phys. Rev. A 114, 043527– Published 23 October, 2026
  • Received 26 January 2026
  • Accepted 7 October 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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