Electrically tunable photon-pair generation in nanostructured NbOCl2 for quantum communications

Abstract

Entangled photon-pair sources are foundational to advancing quantum technologies, including secure communication, quantum sensing, and imaging. For deployment in space-constrained environments such as satellite-based quantum networks or portable devices, compact, reconfigurable, and efficient entanglement sources are essential. Here, we present an electrically tunable entangled photon-pair source utilizing a nanostructured NbOCl₂ crystal, engineered for operation in the telecommunication C-band. The inherent non-centrosymmetric lattice symmetry of NbOCl₂ enables direct generation of polarization-entangled Bell states without the need for post-selection, leveraging its exceptional second-order nonlinear susceptibility (χ⁽²⁾ ≈ 100 pm/V), which surpasses conventional nonlinear materials. By nanopatterning NbOCl₂ into a high-quality-factor metasurface, we achieve three orders of magnitude enhancement in photon-pair generation efficiency via resonant excitation of bound states in the continuum resonance, which intensify light-matter interactions. Furthermore, we demonstrate in situ electrical tunability of the photon-pair emission wavelength over a 250 nm range (1450–1700 nm) by dynamically modulating surrounding liquid crystal layer. Remarkably, the decoupling of photon-pair generation rate and spectral tunability ensures high brightness, above 10⁴ coincidences, under active tuning. The air stability and mechanical robustness of NbOCl₂ further enhance its practicality for real-world deployment. This work establishes NbOCl₂ as a superior material for scalable, on-chip quantum light sources, paving the way for integrated quantum communication systems, adaptive sensors, and portable quantum devices.