No Arabic abstract
Single-photon sources based on optical parametric processes have been used extensively for quantum information applications due to their flexibility, room-temperature operation and potential for photonic integration. However, the intrinsically probabilistic nature of these sources is a major limitation for realizing large-scale quantum networks. Active feedforward switching of photons from multiple probabilistic sources is a promising approach that can be used to build a deterministic source. However, previous implementations of this approach that utilize spatial and/or temporal multiplexing suffer from rapidly increasing switching losses when scaled to a large number of modes. Here, we break this limitation via frequency multiplexing in which the switching losses remain fixed irrespective of the number of modes. We use the third-order nonlinear process of Bragg scattering four-wave mixing as an efficient ultra-low noise frequency switch and demonstrate multiplexing of three frequency modes. We achieve a record generation rate of $4.6times10^4$ multiplexed photons per second with an ultra-low $g^{2}(0)$ = 0.07, indicating high single-photon purity. Our scalable, all-fiber multiplexing system has a total loss of just 1.3 dB independent of the number of multiplexed modes, such that the 4.8 dB enhancement from multiplexing three frequency modes markedly overcomes switching loss. Our approach offers a highly promising path to creating a deterministic photon source that can be integrated on a chip-based platform.
The non-deterministic nature of photon sources is a key limitation for single photon quantum processors. Spatial multiplexing overcomes this by enhancing the heralded single photon yield without enhancing the output noise. Here the intrinsic statistical limit of an individual source is surpassed by spatially multiplexing two monolithic silicon correlated photon pair sources, demonstrating a 62.4% increase in the heralded single photon output without an increase in unwanted multi-pair generation. We further demonstrate the scalability of this scheme by multiplexing photons generated in two waveguides pumped via an integrated coupler with a 63.1% increase in the heralded photon rate. This demonstration paves the way for a scalable architecture for multiplexing many photon sources in a compact integrated platform and achieving efficient two photon interference, required at the core of optical quantum computing and quantum communication protocols.
Heralded single-photon source (HSPS) with competitive single photon purity and indistinguishability has become an essential resource for photonic quantum information processing. Here, for the first time, we proposed a theoretical regime to enhance heralded single-photons generation by multiplexing the degree of the freedom of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of down-converted entangled photon pairs emitted from a nonlinear crystal. Experimentally, a proof-of-principle experiment has been performed through multiplexing three OAM modes. We achieve a 47$%$ enhancement in single photon rate. A second-order autocorrelation function $g^{(2)}(0)<0.5$ ensures our multiplexed heralded single photons with good single photon purity. We further indicate that an OAM-multiplexed HSPS with high quality can be constructed by generating higher dimensional entangled state and sorting them with high efficiency in OAM space. Our avenue may approach a good HSPS with the deterministic property.
Single-photon sources (SPSs) are mainly characterized by the minimum value of their second-order coherence function, viz. their $g^{(2)}$ function. A precise measurement of $g^{(2)}$ may, however, require high time-resolution devices, in whose absence, only time-averaged measurements are accessible. These time-averaged measures, standing alone, do not carry sufficient information for proper characterization of SPSs. Here, we develop a theory, corroborated by an experiment, that allows us to scrutinize the coherence properties of heralded SPSs that rely on continuous-wave parametric down-conversion. Our proposed measures and analysis enable proper standardization of such SPSs.
Single photon source represent a fundamental building block for optical implementations of quantum information tasks ranging from basic tests of quantum physics to quantum communication and high-resolution quantum measurement. In this paper we investigate the performance of a multiplexed system based on asymmetric configuration of multiple heralded single photon sources. {To compare the effectiveness of different designs we introduce a single-photon source performance index that is based on the value of single photon probability required to achieve a guaranteed signal to noise ratio.} The performance and scalability comparison with both currently existing multiple-source architectures and faint laser configurations reveals an advantage the proposed scheme offers in realistic scenarios. This analysis also provides insights on the potential of using such architectures for integrated implementation.
Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in a laser pumped optical nonlinear medium can produce heralded single photons with a high purity but a very low yield. Improving the yield by increasing the pump power in SPDC inevitably reduces the purity due to excitation of multi-photon events. We propose a scheme to overcome this purity-yield trade-off by suppressing multi-photon events in a cavity-enhanced SPDC via the photon blockade effect. By introducing a strong photon-photon interaction into the intracavity medium and increasing the pump power, we can improve the available single-photon yield to larger than $90%$, while maintaining a high purity of $99%$, towards on-demand generation of single photons through the SPDC process. Our quasi-on-demand SPDC sources may boost single-photon-based quantum information technology.