The latest applications in ultrafast quantum metrology require bright, broadband bi-photon sources with one of the photons in the mid-infrared and the other in the visible to near infrared. However, existing sources based on bulk crystals are limited in brightness due to the short interaction length and only allow for limited dispersion engineering. Here, we present an integrated PDC source based on a Ti:LiNbO3 waveguide that generates broadband bi-photons with central wavelengths at 860nm and 2800nm. Their spectral bandwidth exceeds 25THz and is achieved by simultaneous matching of the group velocities (GVs) and cancellation of GV dispersion for the signal and idler field. We provide an intuitive understanding of the process by studying our source's behavior at different temperatures and pump wavelengths, which agrees well with simulations.

The bi-photon correlation time, a measure for the conditional uncertainty in the temporal arrival of two photons from a photon pair source, is a key performance identifier for many quantum spectroscopy applications, with shorter correlation times typically yielding better performance. Furthermore, it provides fundamental insight into the effects of dispersion on the bi-photon state. Here, we retrieve ultrashort bi-photon correlation times of around $100\,\mathrm{fs}$ by measuring simultaneously spectral and temporal interferograms at the output of an SU(1,1) interferometer based on an integrated broadband parametric down-conversion source in a $\mathrm{Ti:LiNbO}_3$ waveguide

Broadband photon-pairs from a parametric down-conversion (PDC) source are essential for quantum optics experiments in the context of spectroscopy, quantum optical coherence tomography and entangled two-photon absorption [1]–[2]. Entangled two-photon absorption benefits from the ultra-short correlation time of a highly time-frequency entangled photon-pair which increases the absorption cross-section while in spectroscopy, broad spectral coverage in the mid-infrared allows one to enter the regime of life science applications.