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arXiv:2504.03475 · Optics Express

All-fibred, telecom technology compatible, room temperature single-photon source

Nathan Lecaron, Max Meunier, Grégory Sauder, Romain Dalidet, Yoann Pelet, Sébastien Tanzilli, Jesús Zúñiga-Pérez, Olivier Alibart

Published May 22, 2025• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Single photon sources are essential building blocks for fundamental quantum optics, and quantum information networks. Their widespread use is currently hindered by impractical features, such as the need for operation at cryogenic temperatures and emission wavelengths lying outside telecom windows. Taking advantage of telecom technology and point defects in GaN crystals, we present, for the first time, the development of a fully-fibered source of single photons operating at room temperature, emitting photons in the telecom O-band and fulfilling the standards of telecom photonics. We characterise an emitter producting single photons at the wavelength of 1292 nm, a spectral broadening compatible with CWDM channels of 13 nm, and a brightness of 25 kcps per mW of pump power. The source shows a signal-to-noise ratio of 16.5 and a purity g(2)(0) = (5.9 ± 0.5) × 10−2 at room temperature, showing high potential for being integrated transportable quantum cryptography devices.

DOI
10.1364/oe.562784

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•Feb 19, 2020•8 citations
Single photon sources are essential building blocks for fundamental quantum optics, and quantum information networks. Their widespread use is currently hindered by impractical features, such as the need for operation at cryogenic temperatures and emission wavelengths lying outside telecom windows. Taking advantage of telecom technology and point defects in GaN crystals, we present, for the first time, the development of a fully-fibered source of single photons operating at room temperature, emitting photons in the telecom O-band and fulfilling the standards of telecom photonics. We characterise an emitter producting single photons at the wavelength of 1292 nm, a spectral broadening compatible with CWDM channels of 13 nm, and a brightness of 25 kcps per mW of pump power. The source shows a signal-to-noise ratio of 16.5 and a purity g(2)(0) = (5.9 ± 0.5) × 10−2 at room temperature, showing high potential for being integrated transportable quantum cryptography devices.
Single-photon sources are essential building blocks for for all aspects of quantum information technologies and more specifically for quantum communications. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by impractical constraints, such as cryogenic operation and emission wavelengths outside telecom windows. Leveraging telecom technology and point defects in GaN crystals, we present the first fully fibre-integrated single photon source operating at room temperature in the telecom O-band, meeting telecom photonics standards. We characterise an emitter producing single photons at 1292 nm, with a spectral broadening of 13 nm and a brightness of 25 kcps per mW of pump power and a purity of g(2)(0) = (5.9±0.5)×10−2at room temperature, demonstrating strong potential for integration into transportable quantum cryptography devices.
On-demand, single-photon emitters (SPEs) play a key role across a broad range of quantum technologies. In quantum networks and quantum key distribution protocols, where photons are used as flying qubits, telecom wavelength operation is preferred because of the reduced fiber loss. However, despite the tremendous efforts to develop various triggered SPE platforms, a robust source of triggered SPEs operating at room temperature and the telecom wavelength is still missing. We report a triggered, optically stable, room temperature solid-state SPE operating at telecom wavelengths. The emitters exhibit high photon purity (~5% multiphoton events) and a record-high brightness of ~1.5 MHz. The emission is attributed to localized defects in a gallium nitride (GaN) crystal. The high-performance SPEs embedded in a technologically mature semiconductor are promising for on-chip quantum simulators and practical quantum communication technologies.
Quantum communication networks are formed of secure links, where information can be transmitted with security guaranteed by the quantum nature of light. An essential building block of such a network is a source of single photons and entangled photon pairs, compatible with the low-loss fibre telecom window around 1550 nm. Previous work based on semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), colour centres in diamond and single atoms has been limited by emission wavelengths unsuitable for long distance applications. Efforts have been made to use standard gallium arsenide based QDs by extending their operating wavelength range, however, electrically driven quantum light emission from quantum dots in this telecommunication window has not yet been demonstrated. In this work, indium phosphide based QD devices have been developed to address this problem. The industry favoured growth method, metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE), has been used to create droplet QDs with low fine structure splitting (FSS). This growth scheme allows us to produce the first optoelectronic devices for single and entangled photon emission in the 1550 nm telecom window. We show single-photon emission with multi-photon events suppressed to 0.11±0.02. Furthermore, we obtain entangled light from the biexciton cascade with a maximum fidelity of 0.87± 0.04 which is sufficient for error correction protocols. We also show extended device operating temperature up to 93 K, allowing operation with liquid nitrogen or simple closed-cycle coolers. Our device can be directly integrated with existing long distance quantum communication, cryptography and quantum relay systems providing a new platform for developing quantum networks.
For quantum light sources in everyday telecommunication networks, quantum science needs to be fully transformed into quantum technology. The first necessary step to move outside a well-controlled lab environment requires the use of quantum light sources operating in the technologically relevant telecom O- and C-band. This can be provided using epitaxial quantum dots as deterministic sources of quantum light. Particularly intriguing is that emitters operating at telecom wavelengths are rapidly catching up with their short wavelength counterparts in terms of performances. Here, we make a decisive step forward in the development of quantum communication networks: a state-of-the-art source of quantum light, a semiconductor quantum dot (QD), with record coincidence rate for entangled photon emission in the telecom C-band, is operated inside an optimized rack-based setup. This setup includes a tunable pulsed laser for the QD excitation (from quasi- to fully resonant excitation), all optics for the excitation filtering, and QD signal coupling into single-mode fibers. Overall, the setup allows for above 50%50\%50% transmission for both exciton and biexciton photons. These results show that quantum dots-based telecom light sources can now be transported and integrated into existing fiber infrastructures, an important step to demonstrate the feasibility of the upcoming quantum internet.
Bright fiber-coupled single photon sources are essential components for practical quantum network. In this work, we present a bright single photon source based on an InAs/InP quantum dot emitting at telecom wavelengths. We designed a nanobeam with a photonic crystal mirror at the other end and a tapered coupler at the other end enabling both directional emission and gaussian-like far-field profile. We detected fiber-coupled single photon count rate of 1.1 MHz with 40 MHz pumping rate. Considering losses from optics and spectral filters, we achieved collection efficiency into first lens of 68% and a total fiber collection efficiency of 8.2%.
Abstract: Entangled light emitting diodes based on semiconductor quantum dots are promising devices for security sensitive quantum network applications, thanks to their natural lack of multi photon-pair generation. Apart from telecom wavelength emission, network integrability of these sources ideally requires electrical operation for deployment in compact systems in the field. For multiplexing of entangled photons with classical data traffic, emission in the telecom O-band and tuneability to the nearest wavelength channel in compliance with coarse wavelength division multiplexing standards (20 nm channel spacing) is highly desirable. Here we show a fully electrically operated telecom entangled light emitting diode with wavelength tuneability of more than 25 nm, deployed in an installed fibre network. With the source tuned to 1310.00 nm, we demonstrate multiplexing of true single entangled photons with classical data traffic and achieve entanglement fidelities above 94% on an installed fibre in a city.