25th Annual Student Research Conference
Observing Down-Conversion in BiBO Crystal
Manisha Shrestha
Dr. Michael Goggin, Faculty Mentor
Spontaneous Parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in nonlinear crystals has been an important tool for generating entangled photon states. Recently, the biaxial crystal bismuth borate (BiBO) has shown promise as a SPDC source. The biaxial nature of BiBO complicates photon propagation within a crystal and can lower the quality of entangled states produced from it. We first study propagation through the crystal by imaging a laser beam onto a CCD camera after the beam has passed through BiBO crystal cut with different orientations of the optic axes to the input/output surfaces. By changing the polarization of the incident beam we are able to observe the effect of polarization on the propagation of the beam through the crystals. We will present the results from the laser and preliminary results using single photons from a SPDC source of the same wavelength.
Keywords: Down-Conversion, Biaxial Crystal, Nonlinear crystal, optic axes, polarization
Topic(s):Physics
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 306-2
Location: MG 1096
Time: 1:15