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arXiv:2205.10214 · Optics Express

Ultrabright polarization-entangled photon pair source for frequency-multiplexed quantum communication in free-space

Emma Brambila, Rodrigo Gómez, Riza Fazili, Markus Gräfe, Fabian Steinlechner

Published Jan 25, 2023• 22 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The distribution of entanglement via satellite links will drastically extend the reach of quantum networks. Highly efficient entangled photon sources are an essential requirement towards overcoming high channel loss and achieving practical transmission rates in long-distance satellite downlinks. Here we report on an ultrabright entangled photon source that is optimized for long-distance free-space transmission. It operates in a wavelength range that is efficiently detected with space-ready single photon avalanche diodes (Si-SPADs), and readily provides pair emission rates that exceed the detector bandwidth (i.e., the temporal resolution). To overcome this limitation, we demultiplex the photon flux into wavelength channels that can be handled by current single photon detector technology. This is achieved efficiently by using the spectral correlations due to hyper-entanglement in polarization and frequency as an auxiliary resource. Combined with recent demonstrations of space-proof source prototypes, these results pave the way to a broadband long-distance entanglement distribution network based on satellites.

DOI
10.1364/oe.461802

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The distribution of entanglement via satellite links will drastically extend the reach of quantum networks. Highly efficient entangled photon sources are an essential requirement towards overcoming high channel loss and achieving practical transmission rates in long-distance satellite downlinks. Here we report on an ultrabright entangled photon source that is optimized for long-distance free-space transmission. It operates in a wavelength range that is efficiently detected with space-ready single photon avalanche diodes (Si-SPADs), and readily provides pair emission rates that exceed the detector bandwidth (i.e., the temporal resolution). To overcome this limitation, we demultiplex the photon flux into wavelength channels that can be handled by current single photon detector technology. This is achieved efficiently by using the spectral correlations due to hyper-entanglement in polarization and frequency as an auxiliary resource. Combined with recent demonstrations of space-proof source prototypes, these results pave the way to a broadband long-distance entanglement distribution network based on satellites.
Entangled photons are crucial resources for quantum information processing. Here, we present an ultrabright polarization-entangled photon source based on a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide designed for practical quantum communication networks. Using a 780 nm pump laser, the source achieves a pair generation rate of 2.4×10^{10} pairs/s/mW. Remarkably, the entangled photons are bright enough to be detected by a power meter, reaching a power of 17.9 nW under a pump power of 3.2 mW. We demonstrate the practicality of the source by conducting quantum key distribution experiments over long-distance fiber links. Wavelength-division multiplexing was employed to enhance the key generation, and nonlocal dispersion compensation was implemented to ensure precise timing coincidence measurements across a broad spectral range. By utilizing nine pairs of wavelength channels, the system achieved the applicable secure key rates of up to 440.80 bits/s over 200 km with a 62 dB loss and extended the maximum secure key generation distance to 404 km. These results demonstrate the potential of wavelength-multiplexed polarization-entangled photon sources for high-speed, long-distance quantum communication, positioning them as key components for future large-scale quantum networks.
Quantum communication uses the laws of quantum physics to encode and decode information and hence provides much more efficient ways of communication than are classically possible. Additionally employing quantum entanglement offers access to a new domain of communication protocols, such as Quantum Dense Coding, Quantum Teleportation or Quantum Cryptography. Photonic realizations allow implementing quantum communication over long distances. To achieve quantum networking on a global scale, photonic free-space links via satellites are a promising future trend. Entanglement-based quantum communication schemes rely on an efficient source of high-quality quantum-entangled photons. Over the last decade extensive effort has been put into the development and enhancement of highly efficient sources. Using spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) in nonlinear crystals turned out to be the most successful method of creating polarization-entangled photon pairs. To date, periodically poled crystals allow collinear setups of very high brightness. We present a highly efficient source of polarization-entangled photons whose performance in pair-production rate, phase stability and compactness by far exceeds that of previous approaches. The superior brightness and quality of entanglement of our source enabled us to cope with high link attenuation, thus allowing to bridge long free-space distances. We performed a proof-of-concept experiment between the Canary Islands of La Palma and Tenerife making use of the European Space Agency's (ESA) optical ground station (OGS). Therefore we used space hardware within a quantum communication free-space experiment. We successfully emulated conditions that are expected for a LEO-satellite down link and we faithfully transmitted a maximally quantum-entangled state over a long-distance free-space link of 144km. These results pave the way for first quantum communication experiments in space.
Distributing entanglement through standard telecommunication fiber is particularly important for quantum key distribution protocols with low vulnerability over metropolitan distances. However, entanglement distribution over long distance through optical fiber so far could only be accomplished with moderate photon pair rates. In this work, we present entanglement distribution over 50 km of standard telecommunication fiber with a pair rate of more than 10 000 ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ using a bright nondegenerate photon pair source. Signal and idler wavelengths of this source are optimized for low dispersion in optical fiber and high efficiency for single-photon avalanche diode detectors, respectively. The resulting modest hardware requirement and high rate of detected entangled photon pairs could significantly enhance practical entanglement-based quantum key distribution in existing metropolitan fiber networks.
We report the demonstration of a bulk, intrinsically phase-stable source of polarization- and time-energy-entangled photon pairs at 810nm and 1550nm, directly coupled into single-mode optical fibers. This highly non-degenerate wavelength combination is well suited for hybrid quantum communication networks, enabling low-loss transmission in optical fibers at 1550nm while maintaining efficient free-space propagation and detection at 810nm. The source is based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal embedded in a polarization Sagnac interferometer, providing inherent stability and dual-degree-of-freedom entanglement. We measure a spectral brightness of B = 4800 pair/s/mW/GHz, with fiber coupling efficiencies exceeding 0.48 at both wavelengths. The entanglement quality is characterized by high-visibility two-photon interference, yielding net visibilities of 0.995 in the polarization basis and 0.991 in the energy-time basis. These performances demonstrate a compact and robust entanglement source compatible with hybrid fiber/free-space quantum key distribution architectures, and suitable for future ground-to-satellite quantum communication links.
Quantum state distribution over vast distances is essential for global-scale quantum networks and fundamental test of quantum physics at space scale. While satellite platforms have demonstrated thousand-kilometer entanglement distribution, quantum key distribution and quantum teleportation with ground, future constellations and deep-space missions demand photon sources that are robust, compact, and power-efficient. Integrated photonics offers a scalable solution, yet a critical spectral gap persists. Although telecom-band integrated photon-pair sources are well established, near-visible photons offer distinct advantages for satellite-to-ground links by mitigating diffraction loss and maximizing the collection efficiency of optical telescopes. Scalable integrated sources in this regime have remained elusive due to the fundamental challenge of achieving anomalous dispersion in materials transparent at visible wavelengths. Here we bridge this gap by demonstrating an integrated near-visible photon-pair source based on a wide-bandgap, ultralow-loss, silicon nitride (Si3_33​N4_44​) microresonator. By engineering the dispersion of higher-order waveguide modes, we overcome the intrinsic normal dispersion limit to achieve efficient phase matching. The device exhibits a spectral brightness of 4.87$\times101010^7$ pairs/s/mW2^22/GHz and a narrow photon linewidth of 357 MHz. We report high-purity heralded single-photon generation with a heralding rate up to 2.3 MHz and a second-order correlation function as low as 0.0041. Furthermore, we observe energy-time entanglement with 98.4% interference visibility, violating the CHSH limit even at flux exceeding 40.6 million pairs/s. Combined with the proven radiation hardness of Si3_33​N4_44​, this source constitutes a flight-ready hardware foundation for daylight quantum communications and protocols requiring on-orbit multiphoton interference.
Entangled photon sources (EPSs) are essential building blocks for scalable quantum communication and quantum key distribution (QKD). We present a stable, highly nondegenerate EPS based on type-0 spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in a crossed-crystal configuration, generating photon pairs at 680~nm and 1550~nm when pumped by a 473~nm laser. This wavelength combination, reported here for the first time, simultaneously benefits from the peak detection efficiency of the most of the Si-SPADs in the visible/near-infrared spectral range and the low-loss fiber transmission of the telecom C-band. This configuration provides the most favorable balance between performance and cost for detection using Si-SPADs and InGaAs detectors. The source exhibits a measured spectral bandwidth of 300~GHz, corresponding to a spectral brightness of up to 1.9×1031.9\times 10^31.9×103~pairs~s−1^{-1}−1~mW−1^{-1}−1~GHz−1^{-1}−1. Heralding efficiencies reach 18~\% (signal) and 34~\% (idler) with Si-SPAD and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) detection. The entangled state achieves visibilities of (97.3±1.0) %(97.3\pm 1.0)\,\%(97.3±1.0)% in the H/V basis and (94.9±1.6) %(94.9\pm1.6)\,\%(94.9±1.6)% in the D/A basis, yielding a fidelity of ≥(96.1±1.3) %\geq(96.1\pm1.3)\,\%≥(96.1±1.3)%. These results establish the presented EPS as a practical wavelength-hybrid platform for fiber-based QKD and emerging long-haul quantum network architectures.