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Frontiers in Optics

Efficient room temperature single-photon source for quantum information: Single dye molecule fluorescence in photonic-band-gap cholesteric liquid crystal host

Svetlana G. Lukishova, Ansgar W. Schmid, Andrew J. McNamara, Robert W. Boyd, Carlos R. Stroud

Published Jan 1, 2003• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Operation of a single photon source for quantum information technology is demonstrated via photon antibunching in the fluorescence of single terrylene molecules embedded in a cholesteric host. The use of a one-dimensional photonic band-gap of planar aligned cholesteric layers will allow further increase in the source efficiency.
DOI
10.1364/fio.2003.wf6

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This paper describes a new application for liquid crystals: quantum information technology. A deterministically polarized single-photon source that efficiently produces photons exhibiting antibunching is a pivotal hardware element in absolutely secure quantum communication. Planar-aligned nematic liquid crystal hosts deterministically align the single dye molecules which produce deterministically polarized single (antibunched) photons. In addition, 1-D photonic bandgap cholesteric liquid crystals will increase single-photon source efficiency. The experiments and challenges in the observation of deterministically polarized fluorescence from single dye molecules in planar-aligned glassy nematic-liquid-crystal oligomer as well as photon antibunching in glassy cholesteric oligomer are described for the first time.
An efficient technique for producing deterministically polarized single photons uses liquid-crystal hosts of either monomeric or oligomeric/polymeric form to preferentially align the single emitters for maximum excitation efficiency. Deterministic molecular alignment also provides deterministically polarized output photons; using planar-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal hosts as 1-D photonic-band-gap microcavities tunable to the emitter fluorescence band to increase source efficiency, using liquid crystal technology to prevent emitter bleaching. Emitters comprise soluble dyes, inorganic nanocrystals or trivalent rare-earth chelates.
A definite polarization in fluorescence from single emitters (dye molecules) at room temperature is demonstrated. A planar-aligned, nematic liquid-crystal host provides definite alignment of single dye molecules in a preferred direction. Well-defined polarized fluorescence from single emitters (single photon source) is important for applications in photonic quantum information. Polarized single-photon sources based on single emitters, for example, are key hardware elements both for absolutely secure quantum communication and quantum computation systems.