Spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) is one of the most versatile techniques for the generation of correlated photon pair, whose quantum state is essential for photon entanglement that underpins many quantum applications like secure communication, quantum metrology and lithography and quantum imaging [1]. Inverse design of effective SPDC has been achieved by structured crystals with shaped pump beams [2]. Another popular platform for SPDC is nanofabricated structures with sub-wavelength thickness called metasurfaces, as they could achieve drastic enhancement of nonlinear light-matter interactions [3]. There remains the possibility to use inverse design to optimize metasurfaces for SPDC.

We propose and demonstrate experimentally, for the first time to our knowledge, that strongly enhanced generation of spatially entangled photon pairs can be achieved from metasurfaces supporting nonlocal double resonances at the signal and idler wavelengths.

We predict and demonstrate experimentally, for the first time to our knowledge, the generation of spatially entangled photon pairs through spontaneous parametric down-conversion from a metasurface incorporating a nonlinear thin film of lithium niobate covered by a silica meta-grating. We identify the spatial entanglement of the photon pairs through violation of the classical Cauchy-Schwartz inequality. Simultaneously, the photon-pair rate is strongly enhanced by 450 times compared to unpatterned films.

Nanoresonators fabricated from low‐loss dielectrics with second‐order nonlinearity have emerged as a widespread platform for nonlinear frequency conversion at the nanoscale. However, a persisting challenge in this research is the generated complex far‐field polarization state of the upconverted light, which is a limiting factor in many applications. It will be highly desirable to generate uniform far‐field polarization states across all propagation directions, to control the polarization truly along the optical axis and to simultaneously be able to tune the polarization along the entire circumference of the Poincaré sphere by solely modifying the excitation polarization. Here, a nonlinear nanoresonator combining all these properties is theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated. At first, an analytical model connecting the induced multipolar content of a nanoresonator with a desired far‐field polarization is derived. Based on this, a nonlinear dielectric nanoresonator is designed to enable sum‐frequency generation (SFG) with highly pure and tuneable far‐field polarization states. In the experiment, the nanoresonators fabricated from the III‐V semiconductor gallium arsenide in (110)‐orientation are excited in an SFG scheme with individually controllable excitation beams. The generation of highly uniform and tuneable far‐field polarization states is demonstrated by combining back‐focal plane measurements with Stokes polarimetry.

Tailoring optically resonant features in dielectric metasurfaces unveils a robust scheme to control electromagnetic near fields of light and thus to boost the nanoscale nonlinear light–matter interactions. Membrane metasurfaces offer unique possibilities for supporting multipolar resonances and meanwhile maintaining high mode volume for enhancing nonlinear frequency conversion. Here we design a silicon membrane metasurface consisting of dimer airy holes, as a versatile platform for generating four-wave mixing (FWM). We show that such a metasurface exhibits a multi-resonant feature, including a quasi bound state in the continuum (BIC) generated by the collective toroidal dipole mode excited in the designed subdiffractive periodic system. We show that via employing the BIC mode in the short-wave infrared (SWIR), together with other resonant enhanced electric near fields in the near-infrared (NIR) region, simultaneously, one can convert invisible SWIR light to visible light radiation with high efficiency, via FWM. We experimentally demonstrated a significant FWM emission enhancement from our metasurface, which leads to a conversion efficiency of 0.76 × 10−6 using pump and signal beam peak intensities as low as 0.33 GW cm−2 and 0.17 GW cm−2, respectively. Our results open new routes for enhancing nonlinear efficiencies for up-conversion processes.

Metasurfaces consisting of nanoscale structures are underpinning new physical principles for the creation and shaping of quantum states of light. Multiphoton states that are entangled in spatial or angular domains are an essential resource for many quantum applications; however, their production traditionally relies on bulky nonlinear crystals. We predict and demonstrate experimentally the generation of spatially entangled photon pairs through spontaneous parametric down-conversion from a metasurface incorporating a nonlinear thin film of lithium niobate covered by a silica meta-grating. We measure the correlations of photon pairs and identify their spatial antibunching through violation of the classical Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, witnessing the presence of multimode entanglement. Simultaneously, the photon-pair rate is strongly enhanced by 450 times as compared to unpatterned films because of high-quality-factor resonances. These results pave the way to miniaturization of various quantum devices by incorporating ultrathin metasurfaces functioning as room temperature sources of quantum-entangled photons.

Conventional electromagnetic multipoles can be completed by complementary sources of toroidal moments, opening the door to the engineering of nanophotonic devices. The main contribution of this study is comparing different light sources for enhancing the toroidal dipole response in a given system. We theoretically study the toroidal dipole excitation in an individual dielectric nanodisk by structured light illumination, including the tightly focused radially polarized beam and the focused doughnut pulse. The toroidal dipole and anapole can be excited by the interplay of the radial and longitudinal components of the incident light. As opposed to the plane wave illumination, the tightly focused radially polarized light can excite a near-ideal toroidal dipole while the contributions of the Cartesian electric dipole and other modes are significantly suppressed. We also show that the focused doughnut pulse is a promising tool for exciting a resonant toroidal response in nanophotonic systems. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that toroidal-driven field confinement leads to an enhancement of energy concentration inside the nanodisk that can potentially increase light harvesting and boost both linear and nonlinear light-matter interactions.

We have numerically investigated toroidal dipolar excitation at optical frequencies in Si nanostructures. Our results show that, through either special structured pump illumination, or by adding an additional layer associated with geometric tuning, we are able to excite strong toroidal dipolar responses with suppressed electric dipolar excitations. These findings may further pave the way to exploit future applications of toroidal resonances including optical nonlinear enhancement, induced transparency for narrow-band filter, etc.

We experimentally and numerically demonstrate sum-frequency generation in (110)-grown GaAs nanoresonators using photons with non-degenerate polarization and energy. Drawing on quantum-classical correspondence, we predict pathways for downconversion processes leading to linear, non-degenerate polarization states.

Switching forward-to-backward linear scattering of nanoantennas is a process of major importance. Here, we demonstrate the first nonlinear switching of forward to backward second harmonic generation, via engineering the nonlinear-tensors of the (110)-GaAs nanoantennas.

We perform multipolar analysis of second-harmonic generation (SHG) from gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanoantennas grown along different crystallographic directions and discuss their specifics. In particular, analysis of the nonlinear response of nanoantennas grown along the (110) axis based on the Lorentz lemma shows that such nanoantennas generate multipoles with only odd azimuthal index m. This feature of (110)-GaAs nanoantennas provides the best forward/backward directivity as compared to their (100) and (111) counterparts. Using numerical modeling we determine parameters of the cylindrical nanoantenna to achieve optical switching in the nonlinear regime by rotating the pump polarization. We then experimentally demonstrate the nonlinear switching between forward and backward SHG emissions from (110)-grown GaAs nanodisks.

We experimentally demonstrate nonlinear frequency mixing of photons with non-degenerate energy and polarization in (110)-grown GaAs nanoresonators. Based on quantum-classical correspondence we predict down-conversion processes allowing for linear, non-degenerate polarization states.

High-index III-V semiconductor nanoantennas have gained great attention for enhanced nonlinear light-matter interactions, in the past few years. However, the complexity of nonlinear emission profiles imposes severe constraints on practical applications, such as in optical communications and integrated optoelectronic devices. These complexities include the lack of unidirectional nonlinear emission and the severe challenges in switching between forward and backward emissions, due to the structure of the susceptibility tensor of the III-V nanoantennas. Here, we propose a solution to both issues via engineering the nonlinear tensor of the nanoantennas. The special nonlinear tensorial properties of zinc-blende material can be used to engineer the nonlinear characteristics via growing the nanoantennas along different crystalline orientations. Based on the nonlinear multipolar effect, we have designed and fabricated (110)-grown GaAs nanoantennas, with engineered tensorial properties, embedded in a transparent low-index material. Our technique provides an approach not only for unidirectional second-harmonic generation (SHG) forward or backward emission but also for switching from one to another. Importantly, switching the SHG emission directionality is obtained only by rotating the polarization of the incident light, without the need for physical variation of the antennas or the environment. This characteristic is an advantage, as compared to other nonlinear nanoantennas, including (100)- and (111)-grown III-V counterparts or silicon and germanium nanoantennas. Indeed, (110)-GaAs nanoantennas allow for engineering the nonlinear nanophotonic systems including nonlinear "Huygens metasurfaces" and offer exciting opportunities for various nonlinear nanophotonics technologies, such as nanoscale light routing and light sources, as well as multifunctional flat optical elements.

Switching the scattering direction of high-index dielectric nanoantennas between forward and backward, via Mie resonances in the linear regime, has been widely studied, recently. However, switching the harmonic emission of nanoantennas without applying any physical change to the antennas, such as geometry, or environment, is a challenging task that has not been demonstrated yet. Here, we investigate multipolar second-harmonic switch from GaAs nanoantennas. Based on the peculiar nonlinearities of zinc-blende semiconductors, we demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally unidirectional nonlinear emission routing and switching via pump polarization control. Our results offer exciting opportunities for nonlinear nanophotonics technologies, such as nanoscale light routing elements, nonlinear light sources, nonlinear imaging, multifunctional flat optical elements.