Spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC)1 is a quantum second-order nonlinear optical process where the photons generated are frequently used in studying the quantum mechanics foundation and for quantum information-based applications2. Materials with large second-order nonlinearities can be used for entangled photon sources with high brightness. The source brightness scales as square of effective nonlinearity (deff) which is an intrinsic property of the material. Understanding material factors which can significantly alter the intrinsic property is useful in developing new novel materials which are SPDC efficient3. In our work, we have focused on understanding factors such as different arrangements of ligands within the Zn(3-ptz)3 metal-organic framework (MOF) crystal, and temperature affecting the entangled photon pair properties. We found that the arrangement and alignment of the pyridine rings in the crystal structure significantly affect the def f and birefringence . Birefringence increases with decreasing pyridine ring alignment (γo) and the photon pair correlation times increase with increase in birefringence. Our work has significant implication in understanding the effect of ligand arrangement on deff, photon pair correlation times and for any MOFs crystal structure, providing another knob to tune the deff and driving the MOF crystal growth efforts towards desired structures.

Understanding correlation between structure and entangled photon pair properties with metal-organic frameworks

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.