Advanced Photonics, Volume. 7, Issue 4, 044002(2025)
Thin-film lithium niobate quantum photonics: review and perspectives
Figures & Tables(14)
Fig. 1. Thin-film lithium niobate functionality versus potential quantum photonics applications: TFLN gives a big various functionality based on the fundamental material properties and technological development, i.e., acousto-optic modulators and transducers, electro-optic modulation and switches, second- and third-order nonlinearity (waveguide Figure adapted with permission from Ref. 27 © 2023 Optica Publishing Group), low loss (Figure adapted with permission from Ref. 28 © 2022 The Author(s)), and sources and detectors integration (Figure adapted with permission from Ref. 29 © 2023 The Author(s)). Thanks to these functionalities, TFLN holds significant promise for potential quantum photonics applications, such as enabling next generation quantum networks, advancing precision metrology, enhancing quantum computing architectures, and advancing toward near-deterministic single-photon sources.
Fig. 2. Light modulation based on micro-heaters and the Pockels effect. (a) Microheater-based phase shifter on top of LN. Adapted with permission from Ref. 196 © 2024 The Author(s). (b) Microheater-based phase shifter aside the LN waveguide. Adapted with permission from Ref. 194 © 2022 Optica Publishing Group. (c) Synthesizing the electrical driving signal enables faster thermal tuning. Adapted with permission from Ref. 196 © 2024 The Author(s). (d) Applying an electrical field results in high-speed phase modulation of an LN waveguide. (e) Advanced IQ modulator based on high-speed phase modulation. Adapted with permission from Ref. 205 © 2020 The Author(s).
Fig. 4. SNSPD integration. (a) NbN nanowire integrated on TFLN. Adapted with permission from Ref. 218 © 2020 AIP Publishing. (b) NbTiN-based SNSPDs on TFLN. Adapted with permission from Ref. 219 © 2021 The Author(s). (c) MoSi nanowire integrated on TFLN. Adapted with permission from Ref. 220 © 2024 American Chemical Society. (d)
Fig. 5. Quantum memory and storage. (a) TFLN-based single-photon buffer. Adapted with permission from Ref. 223 © 2023 The Author(s). (b) A quantum memory on TFLN doped with thulium rare-earth ions. Adapted with permission from Ref. 224 © 2023 American Chemical Society. (c) Er-doped TFLN ring resonator cavity for telecom-compatible quantum memory. Adapted with permission from Ref. 225 © 2014 SPIE.
Fig. 6. Nonlinear processes of the second and third orders with their potential quantum applications.
Fig. 7. Envisioned hybrid multiplexing scheme on the TFLN chip with a dedicated cryogenics logic.
Fig. 8. TFLN-based quantum node and a quantum sensor: (a) A proposed quantum node including matter-based quantum memory. Figure adapted with permission from Ref. 318 © 2024 The Author(s). (b) Quantum-enhanced phase sensor utilizing squeezed light. Adapted with permission from Ref. 319 © 2023 The Author(s).
Fig. 9. Universal linear optics based on TFLN. (a) Conceptual scheme of a BS:
Table 1. Comparison of lithium niobate-based platforms.
View tableView in ArticleTable 1. Comparison of lithium niobate-based platforms.
Platform Mode field area , dB/m Bending radius, Bulk 0 N/A 0.2 28 N/A PE (inc. APE, RPE, SPE) 0.1 92 > 92 20 > 92 Ti-diffused <0.01 93 > 50 93 94 TFLN 0.7 1.3 95 (etch)< 96 0.34 97 (CMP)
Table 2. Summary of quantum frequency conversion experiments and their application.
a View tableView in ArticleTable 2. Summary of quantum frequency conversion experiments and their application.
a Process , nm , nm Material Application (Ref.) SFG 1548 631 Bulk PPLN ∼90% Upconversion detection 244 SFG 1550 631 Bulk PPLN 80% ± 15% Upconversion detection 245 SFG 1550 713 PPLN RPE 46% b Upconversion detection 246 SFG 1320 713 PPLN RPE 40% b Upconversion detection 246 SFG 1312 710 PPLN WG 75% ± 1% Quantum interface 247 SFG 1554 834 PPLN RPE 86% Upconversion detection 248 DFG 780 1522 Zn:PPLN WG 62% Quantum interface 249 SFG 980 600 MgO:PPLN WG >70% QFC 242 DFG 711 1313 Zn:PPLN WG >64% QFC 250 DFG 910 1560 PPLN RPE 80% Quantum interface 251 DFG 780 1552 MgO:PPLN WG 32.4% Quantum interface 235 DFG 637 1587 Zn:PPLN WG 71% Quantum interface 238 DFG 904 1557 MgO:PPLN WG 31.1% b QFC 252 SFG 1545 550 PPLN TD 61.5% Quantum interface 253 DFG 606 1552 PPLN WG 62% Quantum interface 254 DFG 795 1342 PPLN RPE 70% Quantum interface 255 DFG 942 1550 PPLN WG 56.7% Quantum interface 256 DFG 943 1543 PPLN WG 86%–95% Quantum interface 257 SFG 1550 863 PPTFLN 73% Upconversion detection 258 DFG 780 1541 PPLN WG 95% QFC 259
Table 3. Summary of the demonstrated LN photon-pair sources.
View tableView in ArticleTable 3. Summary of the demonstrated LN photon-pair sources.
Platform (Ref.) PGR, CAR Visibility (type) SPE PPLN 274 0.0015 N/A N/A 97% ± 1.84% (Franson) LN WGMR 273 0.013 <0.2 N/A N/A Zn:PPLN 275 0.0015 0.1 ± 0.012 260,000 − 7.5 93% ± 17% (HOM) PPTFLN 276 0.027 a N/A 6900 ± 200 N/A PPTFLN 277 0.008 a N/A 631 ± 210 N/A PPTFLN Ring 86 2.6 ± 0.1 a 0.008 ± 0.0007 14,682 ± 4427 N/A PPTFLN 278 b 0.045 0.022 ± 0.004 67,224 ± 714 99.3% ± 1.9% (Franson) PPTFLN 279 13 N/A 100,000 98% (Michelson) PPTFLN 280 279 N/A 599 99.17% (Franson) PPTFLN 281 0.024 a N/A N/A 96.3% (spectral purity) PPLN 282 0.178 N/A >8000 98.2% ± 0.3% (Franson) PPTFLN 243 1.27 a N/A 1182 N/A MPM DLTFLN 283 41.77 <0.2 58,298 ± 1297 N/A MPM LPTFLN 284 0.34 a 0.008 663 N/A PPTFLN 285 230 ± 50 a N/A N/A 100% ± 1% (Michelson) PPLN TD 286 0.125 a N/A N/A N/A PPLN TD 287 11.86 a N/A N/A N/A MPM TFLN 288 0.672 a N/A N/A N/A MPM TFLN 289 N/A 805 ± 5 N/A
Table 4. Comparison between SiN and TFLN platforms for large-scale CV MBQC.
View tableView in ArticleTable 4. Comparison between SiN and TFLN platforms for large-scale CV MBQC.
Feature SiN TFLN Cluster encoding Frequency domain Well-suited for the temporal domain Pump configuration Polychromatic Monochromatic Detection scheme Polychromatic homodyne Standard homodyne Scalability Limited by squeezing level and mode complexity Favorable via temporal multiplexing
Table 5. Comparison of different photonic material platforms.
a View tableView in ArticleTable 5. Comparison of different photonic material platforms.
a Material ( ) , dB/m Second-order nonlinear coefficient, pm/V , EO coefficient, pm/V Sources e Detectors e Squeezing max. f , dB2.21 1.3 95 : −25.2 (1064 nm) 37 (1550 nm) 206 : 30.9 (633 nm) 229 N/A N/A −11 304 (2.14) 0.34 97 2.119 5.6 363 : 13.8 (1064 nm) 37 (800 nm) e 229 : 30.5 (633 nm) 229 N/A N/A — (2.123) Si 3.48 6.5 364 N/A (1550 nm) 206 N/A N/A ✓ −4.17 g 290 2 0.39 291 N/A (1550 nm) 206 N/A N/A N/A −8 b 354 4H-SiC 2.56 9 365 : −11.7 (1064 nm) 366 (1550 nm) c 367 : 0.3 to 0.7 (1550 nm) 368 ✓ ✓ — (2.61) AlGaAs d 3.3 20 369 : 180 (1550 nm) 369 (1550 nm) 370 : −1.5 (1520 nm) 371 ✓ ✓ −21 372
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Fabien Labbé, Çağın Ekici, Innokentiy Zhdanov, Alif Laila Muthali, Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe, Yunhong Ding, "Thin-film lithium niobate quantum photonics: review and perspectives," Adv. Photon. 7, 044002 (2025)
Paper Information
Category: Reviews
Received: Apr. 2, 2025
Accepted: Jun. 13, 2025
Posted: Jun. 16, 2025
Published Online: Jul. 17, 2025
The Author Email: Yunhong Ding (yudin@dtu.dk)
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