Entangled Excitons via Spontaneous Downconversion

Abstract

A class of centrosymmetric molecules support excitons with a well-defined quasi-angular momentum. Cofacial arrangements of these molecules can be engineered so that quantum cutting produces a pair of excitons with angular momenta that are maximally entangled. The Bell state constituents can subsequently travel in opposite directions down molecular chains as ballistic wave packets. This is a direct excitonic analog to the entangled polarization states produced by the spontaneous parametric downconversion of light. As in optical settings, the ability to produce Bell states should enable foundational experiments and technologies based on non-local excitonic quantum correlation. The idea is elucidated with a combination of quantum electrodynamics theory and numerical simulation.