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Bypassing the filtering challenges in microwave-optical quantum transduction through optomechanical four-wave mixing

James Schneeloch*, Erin Sheridan, A. Matthew Smith, Christopher C. Tison, Daniel L. Campbell, Matthew D. LaHaye, Michael L. Fanto, and Paul M. Alsing

  • *Contact author: james.schneeloch.1@afrl.af.mil
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033013 – Published 2 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/f35f-4128

Abstract

Microwave-optical quantum transduction is a key enabling technology in quantum networking, but has been plagued by a formidable technical challenge. As most microwave-optical-transduction techniques rely on three-wave mixing processes, the processes consume photons from a driving telecom-band (pump) laser to convert input microwave photons into telecom-band photons detuned from the laser by this microwave frequency. However, cleanly separating out single photons detuned only a few GHz away from a classically bright laser in the same spatial mode requires frequency filters of unprecedented extinction over a very narrow transition band, straining the capabilities of today's technology. Instead of confronting this challenge directly, we show how one may achieve the same transduction objective with comparable efficiency using a four-wave mixing process in which pairs of pump photons are consumed to produce transduced optical photons widely separated in frequency from the pump. We develop this process by considering higher-order analogues of photoelasticity and electrostriction than those used in conventional optomechanics, and examine how the efficiency of this process can be made to exceed conventional optomechanical couplings.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033013– Published 2 July, 2025
  • Received 6 December 2024
  • Revised 3 April 2025
  • Accepted 3 June 2025
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