Ultra-broadband quantum infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

Spectroscopy in the mid-infrared region is an indispensable tool for identifying molecular types in various fields, including physics, chemistry, and medical sciences. However, conventional infrared light sources, detectors, and noise from blackbody radiation have been the obstacles to miniaturization and higher sensitivity of infrared spectrometers. Quantum infrared spectroscopy, which uses visible and infrared photon pairs in a quantum entangled state, has attracted attention as a new sensing technology that enables infrared spectroscopy with detectors in the visible range. However, the bandwidth of conventional quantum entangled light sources is at most 1 µm or less, which hinders broadband measurements, which are important in spectroscopic applications. Here we have realized an ultra-broadband entangled state of visible–infrared photons with wavelengths from 2 to 5 µm, harnessing a specially designed nonlinear crystal with chirped poling structure inside. Furthermore, we constructed a nonlinear quantum interferometer using the ultra-broadband quantum entangled photons and realized broadband infrared spectroscopy of inorganic and organic materials using a visible detector made of silicon. Our results show that quantum infrared spectroscopy can achieve ultra-broadband spectroscopic measurements and pave the way for the highly sensitive, ultra-compact infrared spectrometers using quantum entangled photons.