Abstract

Photonic bound states represent a new class of quantum multi-photon states. Due to previous interactions in the quantm nonlinear medium, photons in a bound state exhibit effective attraction and propagate together as a composite entity. Their strong inter-photon correlations offer promising advantages in quantum imaging, quantum communication, and quantum computing. While two- and three-photon bound states have been observed in cold-atom experiments, efficient generation in practical systems remains a significant challenge. This dissertation tackles the challenges on two fronts. First, I investigate the generation schemes and statistical properties of two types of photonic bound states: multi-photon states arising from superradiant emission and photonic-dimer coherent states—ensembles of two-photon bound states analogous to coherent states of single photons. The correlation functions and optical coherence properties of these states are analyzed in detail. Second, I show that their intrinsic photon-photon correlations enhance performance in turbulence-free interferometry and increase two-photon excitation efficiency, enabling deeper tissue imaging in two-photon fluorescence microscopy. Overall, this work advances our understanding of multi-photon quantum systems and expands the potential applications of photonic bound states in quantum technologies.

Committee Chair

Jung-Tsung Shen

Committee Members

Chuan Wang; Matthew Lew; Shantanu Chakrabartty; Zohar Nussinov

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Electrical & Systems Engineering

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

7-3-2025

Language

English (en)

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Available for download on Friday, July 02, 2027

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