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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Periodic single-photon source and quantum memory

T. B. Pittman, Michael J. Fitch, B. C. Jacobs, J. D. Franson

Published Feb 3, 2004• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Although there has been tremendous progress in the development of true “on-demand” single-photon sources, periodic or “pseudodemand” single-photon sources can be a sufficient resource for many optical quantum information processing applications. Here we review a recent experimental demonstration of a periodic single-photon source based on parametric down-conversion photon pairs, optical storage loops, and high-speed switching. We also review an experiment in which high speed switching and storage loops were used to implement a periodic quantum memory device for polarization-encoded single-photon qubits. Finally, we describe a method in which two of these periodic quantum memory devices are used to facilitate the production of a periodic source of entangled photon pairs. These experiments and proposals are all motivated within the context of linear optics quantum computing.

DOI
10.1117/12.504887

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Although there has been tremendous progress in the development of true “on-demand” single-photon sources, periodic or “pseudodemand” single-photon sources can be a sufficient resource for many optical quantum information processing applications. Here we review a recent experimental demonstration of a periodic single-photon source based on parametric down-conversion photon pairs, optical storage loops, and high-speed switching. We also review an experiment in which high speed switching and storage loops were used to implement a periodic quantum memory device for polarization-encoded single-photon qubits. Finally, we describe a method in which two of these periodic quantum memory devices are used to facilitate the production of a periodic source of entangled photon pairs. These experiments and proposals are all motivated within the context of linear optics quantum computing.
We describe the results of a parametric down-conversion experiment in which the detection of one photon of a pair causes the other photon to be switched into a storage loop. The stored photon can then be switched out of the loop at a later time chosen by the user, providing a single photon for potential use in a variety of quantum information processing applications. Although the stored single photon is only available at periodic time intervals, those times can be chosen to match the cycle time of a quantum computer by using pulsed down-conversion. The potential use of the storage loop as a photonic quantum memory device is also discussed.
We have performed a proof-of-principle experiment in which qubits encoded in the polarization states of single photons from a parametric down-conversion source were coherently stored and read out from a quantum memory device. The memory device utilized a simple free-space storage loop, providing a cyclical readout that could be synchronized with the cycle time of a quantum computer. The coherence of the photonic qubits was maintained during switching operations by using a high-speed polarizing Sagnac interferometer switch.
Single photons are a vital resource for optical quantum information processing. Efficient and deterministic single photon sources do not yet exist, however. To date, experimental demonstrations of quantum processing primitives have been implemented using non-deterministic sources combined with heralding and/or postselection. Unfortunately, even for eight photons, the data rates are already so low as to make most experiments impracticable. It is well known that quantum memories, capable of storing photons until they are needed, are a potential solution to this `scaling catastrophe'. Here, we analyze in detail the benefits of quantum memories for producing multiphoton states, showing how the production rates can be enhanced by many orders of magnitude. We identify the quantity etaBeta BetaB as the most important figure of merit in this connection, where etaetaeta and BBB are the efficiency and time-bandwidth product of the memories, respectively. We go on to review our progress in implementing the most broadband memory to date, with B<1000B<1000B<1000, in room-temperature cesium vapour. We consider the noise properties for single photon storage and the integration of the memory using waveguides.
Quantum memories are indispensable for quantum communication and quantum computation, which are able to realize the storage and retrieval of a quantum state such as a single photon, entanglement, or a squeezed state on demand. Among those memories realized by different protocols, the Raman quantum memory has advantages in its broadband and high-speed properties, resulting in huge potential applications in quantum network and quantum computation. However, the realization of Raman quantum memory for a true single photon and photonic entanglement is a challenging job. In this review, after briefly introducing the main benchmarks for quantum memories, showing the state of the art, we focus on the review of the experimental progress recently achieved in storing the quantum state by Raman scheme in our group. We believe that all achievements reviewed are very hopeful in building up a high-speed quantum network.
A source of single photons allows secure quantum key distribution, in addition, to being a critical resource for linear optics quantum computing. We describe our progress on deterministically creating single photons from spontaneous parametric downconversion, an extension of the Pittman, Jacobs and Franson scheme [Phys. Rev A, v66, 042303 (2002)]. Their idea was to conditionally prepare single photons by measuring one member of a spontaneously emitted photon pair and storing the remaining conditionally prepared photon until a predetermined time, when it would be "deterministically" released from storage. Our approach attempts to improve upon this by recycling the pump pulse in order to decrease the possibility of multiple-pair generation, while maintaining a high probability of producing a single pair. Many of the challenges we discuss are central to other quantum information technologies, including the need for low-loss optical storage, switching and detection, and fast feed-forward control.
This review surveys the physical principles and recent developments in manufacturing single-photon sources. Special emphasis is placed on important potential applications such as linear optical quantum computing (LOQC), quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum metrology that drive the development of these sources of single photons. We discuss the quantum-mechanical properties of light prepared in a quantum state of definite photon number and compare it with coherent light that shows a Poissonian distribution of photon numbers. We examine how the single-photon fidelity directly influences the ability to transmit secure quantum bits over a predefined distance. The theoretical description of modified spontaneous decay, the main principle behind single-photon generation, provides the background for many experimental implementations such as those using microresonators or pillar microcavities. The main alternative way to generate single photons using postselection of entangled photon pairs from parametric down-conversion, will be discussed. We concentrate on describing the underlying physical principles and we will point out limitations and open problems associated with single-photon production.