X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton

Abstract Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (PDC) of photons is a gateway into the quantum realm – thoroughly studied in nonlinear optics and ubiquitously used to generate non-classical states of light. Extending PDC from the visible regime towards shorter wavelengths further enables microscopic...

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Main Authors: Dietrich Krebs, Fridtjof Kerker, Xenia Brockmüller, Christoph J. Sahle, Blanka Detlefs, Simo Huotari, Nina Rohringer, Christina Bömer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60845-8
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author Dietrich Krebs
Fridtjof Kerker
Xenia Brockmüller
Christoph J. Sahle
Blanka Detlefs
Simo Huotari
Nina Rohringer
Christina Bömer
author_facet Dietrich Krebs
Fridtjof Kerker
Xenia Brockmüller
Christoph J. Sahle
Blanka Detlefs
Simo Huotari
Nina Rohringer
Christina Bömer
author_sort Dietrich Krebs
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (PDC) of photons is a gateway into the quantum realm – thoroughly studied in nonlinear optics and ubiquitously used to generate non-classical states of light. Extending PDC from the visible regime towards shorter wavelengths further enables microscopic resolution of electronic structure and quantum-enhanced X-ray detection, but remained challenging due to the process’ inherently low conversion rate. Here, we resolve the full signal cone of non-degenerate down-conversion at X-ray wavelengths and identify imprints of a polariton in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regime. We confirm our finding of the EUV-polariton with theoretical simulations and establish that our approach directly images the characteristic anti-crossing of polaritonic dispersion branches. This insight could open a pathway to explore strong-coupling phenomena of EUV-light-matter interaction.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-8e201ed94edf4375a7546c64d2a0f4422025-08-20T03:27:18ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-06-011611910.1038/s41467-025-60845-8X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polaritonDietrich Krebs0Fridtjof Kerker1Xenia Brockmüller2Christoph J. Sahle3Blanka Detlefs4Simo Huotari5Nina Rohringer6Christina Bömer7Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYThe Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast ImagingDepartment of Physics, Universität HamburgESRF, The European SynchrotronESRF, The European SynchrotronDepartment of Physics, University of HelsinkiDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYAbstract Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (PDC) of photons is a gateway into the quantum realm – thoroughly studied in nonlinear optics and ubiquitously used to generate non-classical states of light. Extending PDC from the visible regime towards shorter wavelengths further enables microscopic resolution of electronic structure and quantum-enhanced X-ray detection, but remained challenging due to the process’ inherently low conversion rate. Here, we resolve the full signal cone of non-degenerate down-conversion at X-ray wavelengths and identify imprints of a polariton in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regime. We confirm our finding of the EUV-polariton with theoretical simulations and establish that our approach directly images the characteristic anti-crossing of polaritonic dispersion branches. This insight could open a pathway to explore strong-coupling phenomena of EUV-light-matter interaction.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60845-8
spellingShingle Dietrich Krebs
Fridtjof Kerker
Xenia Brockmüller
Christoph J. Sahle
Blanka Detlefs
Simo Huotari
Nina Rohringer
Christina Bömer
X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton
Nature Communications
title X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton
title_full X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton
title_fullStr X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton
title_full_unstemmed X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton
title_short X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton
title_sort x ray parametric down conversion reveals euv polariton
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60845-8
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