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arXiv:2009.02134 · Optics Express

Wide-range wavelength-tunable photon-pair source for characterizing single-photon detectors

Lijiong Shen, Jianwei Lee, Antony Winata Hartanto, Peng Kian Tan, Christian Kurtsiefer

Published Jan 14, 2021• 4 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The temporal response of single-photon detectors is usually obtained by measuring their impulse response to short-pulsed laser sources. In this work, we present an alternative approach using time-correlated photon pairs generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). By measuring the cross-correlation between the detection times recorded with an unknown and a reference photodetector, the temporal response function of the unknown detector can be extracted. Changing the critical phase-matching conditions of the SPDC process provides a wavelength-tunable source of photon pairs. We demonstrate a continuous wavelength-tunability from 526 nm to 661 nm for one photon of the pair, and 1050 nm to 1760 nm for the other photon. The source allows, in principle, to access an even wider wavelength range by simply changing the pump laser of the SPDC-based source. As an initial demonstration, we characterize single-photon avalance detectors sensitive to the two distinct wavelength bands, one based on Silicon, the other based on Indium Gallium Arsenide.

DOI
10.1364/oe.409532

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Quantum Photonic Devices•Sep 19, 2017•0 citations
The temporal response of single-photon detectors is usually obtained by measuring their impulse response to short-pulsed laser sources. In this work, we present an alternative approach using time-correlated photon pairs generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). By measuring the cross-correlation between the detection times recorded with an unknown and a reference photodetector, the temporal response function of the unknown detector can be extracted. Changing the critical phase-matching conditions of the SPDC process provides a wavelength-tunable source of photon pairs. We demonstrate a continuous wavelength-tunability from 526 nm to 661 nm for one photon of the pair, and 1050 nm to 1760 nm for the other photon. The source allows, in principle, to access an even wider wavelength range by simply changing the pump laser of the SPDC-based source. As an initial demonstration, we characterize single-photon avalance detectors sensitive to the two distinct wavelength bands, one based on Silicon, the other based on Indium Gallium Arsenide.
Characterizing the temporal response function of single-photon detectors (SPDs) is essential for quantum communication protocols and time-resolved measurements. Typically, this characterization is obtained from the arrival time statistics of photons from a pulsed laser. In this work, we present an alternative approach using time-correlated photon pairs generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). We demonstrate a continuous wavelength-tunability from 526 nm to 661 nm for one photon of the pair, and 1050 nm to 1760 nm for the other photon a range comparable to existing pulsed-laser systems. With this source, we characterized single-photon avalanche detectors sensitive to the two distinct wavelength bands, one based on Silicon, the other based on Indium Gallium Arsenide.
There is an important class of experiments that characterize the properties of quantum mechanical systems using correlated photons, and a typical source for correlated photons is the process of Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC). SPDC is a quantum mechanical process in which a single “pump” photon is converted into two photons that have half the frequency and double the wavelength of the original photon. This process takes place inside a crystal with particular optical properties that allow for SPDC, and we used a uniaxial Beta Barium Borate crystal. A single photon counting module (SPCM) was used as a detector for the photons. Our goal was to characterize a 474 nanometer (nm) Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) laser as a possible source for SPDC correlated photons. Measurements of the DPSS laser radiation showed that it emitted photons with a wavelength of both 474 nm and 948 nm, which was expected. The SPDC photons produced by our apparatus would also have a wavelength of 948 nm, so we tested whether the down converted photons could be detected without the 948 nm signal from the DPSS laser overwhelming the SPCM. Software for determining the parameters of SPDC in a given system is available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and we used it to determine where we could expect to see SPDC photons. Initial measurements suggest that the system can produce SPDC photons, and we will continue to characterize the apparatus.
We report an experimental demonstration of wavelength variable generation and detection of photon pairs in the visible and mid-infrared (MIR) regions over a wide spectral range of 2–5 µm via spontaneous parametric downconversion. Despite the recent increase in interest in such a photon-pair source, there have been few detailed evaluations of emitted photons generated via the downconversion process in the low gain regime, due to the lack of suitable single-photon detectors. By changing the angle of the nonlinear crystal, we continuously tune the phase-matching condition and generate photon pairs as signal photons in the wavelength range of 600–965 nm and idler photons in the wavelength range of 1186–4694 nm. We evaluate the generated photon pairs using single and coincidence counts by superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors up to a wavelength of 2 µm and detect the intensity using an InSb detector with a lock-in detection system up to 5 µm. From this analysis, a pair generation rate of 10 5 s − 1 per mW of pump power is experimentally obtained for this wavelength range. This work provides a basis for the realization of applications such as heralded MIR single-photon sources, infrared imaging, and infrared spectroscopy based on quantum technologies in the MIR region.
The frequency correlation (or decorrelation) of photon pairs is of great importance in long-range quantum communications and photonic quantum computing. We experimentally characterize a spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) source, based on a β-Barium Borate (BBO) crystal cut for type-II phase matching at 1550 nm which has the capability to emit photons with positive or no spectral correlations. Our system, depicted in Fig. 1a), employs a carefully designed detection method exploiting two InGaAs detectors.
Abstract We demonstrate an ultrabright, narrow-band and frequency-tunable photon-pair source based on cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) which is compatible with atomic transition of rubidium D 2 -line (780 nm) or cesium D 2 -line (852 nm). With the pump beam alternating between a high and a low power phase, the output is switching between the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and photon-pair generation mode. We utilize the OPO output light to lock the cavity length to maintain the double resonances of signal and idler, as well as to lock the signal frequency to cesium atomic transition. With a type-II phase matching and a double-passed pump scheme such that the cluster frequency spacing is larger than the SPDC bandwidth, the photon-pair output is in a nearly single-mode operation as confirmed by a scanning Fabry–Perot interferometer with its output detected by a photomultiplier. The achieved generation and detection rates are 7.24 × 10 5 and 6142 s −1 mW −1 , respectively. The correlation time of the photon pair is 21.6(2.2) ns, corresponding to a bandwidth of 2 π × 6.6(6) MHz. The spectral brightness is 1.06 × 10 5 s −1 mW −1 MHz −1 . This is a relatively high value under a single-mode operation with the cavity-SPDC scheme. The generated single photons can be readily used in experiments related to atomic quantum memories.
Time-frequency domain is a promising platform for optical quantum technologies due to large Hilbert space available for quantum information encoding. Moreover, photons appear as perfect candidates for interface between different quantum systems as they can be transmitted over large distances in a low-loss manner. Obviously mostly desired would be such link at telecommunication wavelengths, because it can be integrated with classical communication schemes. We report on a tunable telecom-wavelength photon pair source based on bulk periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate (PPKTP) pumped by femtosecond laser pulses. The pairs are produced via type-II spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC). The spectra of photons, which lies in telecommunication range, in our source can be affected via both changing the spectrum of pumping laser and changing the phase matching by using crystals of different lengths. By appropriate choice of these parameters either the pair of photons occupy single-mode in frequency and is in a separable state or is multimode and entangled [1]. Here we report on experimental active modification the photon pairs’ spectral properties. We employ fast electro-optic temporal phase modulation to induce a deterministic change of photons’ joint spectral intensity (JSI). Central wavelength of one photon is shifted by up to 0.2 nm. The measurement of the spectrum of single photons is based upon frequency to time mapping, implemented by large group delay dispersion (GDD) in chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) [2]. An unprecedented sub-10 pm resolution of correlated single-photon spectral measurements has been achieved. Further work will be done to modify not only the position, but also the shape of JSI by using techniques based on the time-lens principle [3]. References: [1] P. G. Evans, R. S. Bennink, W. P. Grice, T. S. Humble, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 253601 (2010) [2] A. O. C. Davis, P. M. Saulnier, M. Karpinski, B. J. Smith, arXiv:1610.03040 (2016) [3] M. Karpiński, M. Jachura, L. J. Wright, B. J. Smith, Nature Photonics 11, 53–57 (2017)