© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

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

An extremely low-noise heralded single-photon source without temporal post-selection

Fabrizio Piacentini, P. Traina, Adriano Della Frera, Alberto Tosi, C. Scarcella, Alessandro Ruggeri, Angelo Gulinatti, Massimo Ghioni, Sergey V. Polyakov, Alan L. Migdall, Andrea Giudice, G. Brida, Ivo Pietro Degiovanni, Marco Genovese

Published May 6, 2013• 0 citations

Abstract

With the recent progresses in quantum technologies, single photon sources have gained a primary relevance. Here we present a heralded single photon source characterized by an extremely low level of noise photons, realized by exploiting low-jitter electronics and detectors and fast custom-made electronics used to control an optical shutter (a LiNbO3 waveguide optical switch) at the output of the source. This single photon source showed a second-order autocorrelation function g(2)(0) = 0:005(7), and an Output Noise Factor (defined as the ratio of noise photons to total photons at the source output) of 0:25(1)%, among the best ever achieved.

DOI: 10.1117/12.2017378

Related papers

An extremely low-noise heralded single-photon source: A breakthrough for quantum technologies

G. Brida, Ivo Pietro Degiovanni, Marco Genovese +11 more

Low noise single-photon sources are a critical element for quantum technologies. We present a heralded single-photon source with an extremely low level of residual background photons, by implementing low-jitter detectors and electronics and a fast custom-made pulse generator controlling an optical shutter (a LiNbO3 waveguide optical switch) on the output of the source. This source has a second-order autocorrelation g(2)(0)=0.005(7), and an output noise factor (defined as the ratio of the number of noise photons to total photons at the source output channel) of 0.25(1)%. These are the best performance characteristics reported to date.

arXiv:1301.2090•Applied Physics Letters•Nov 26, 2012•69 citations

Experimental realization of a low-noise heralded single-photon source

G. Brida, Ivo Pietro Degiovanni, Marco Genovese +4 more

We present a heralded single-photon source with a much lower level of unwanted background photons in the output channel by using the herald photon to control a shutter in the heralded channel. The shutter is implemented using a simple field programable gate array controlled optical switch.

arXiv:1007.2512•Optics Express•Jan 13, 2011•72 citations

Ultra-fast heralded single photon source based on telecom technology and non-linear optics

Lutfi Arif Ngah, Olivier Alibart, Laurent Labonté +2 more

We realize an ultra-fast source of telecom single photons heralded at MHz-rates by combining a 10-GHz repetition-rate laser with off-the-shelf fiber components and waveguide non-linear stages. Measured 2nd-order autocorrelation functions are the lowest reported to date.

•Jan 1, 2015•3 citations

Ultrafast all-optical switching of telecom single photons

Ujaan Purakayastha, Colin P. Lualdi, Paul G. Kwiat

Low-loss, ultrafast photon routing is an enabling technology for optical quantum information processing. We demonstrate a 20 GHz, all-optical switch for 1590-nm photons from a heralded single-photon source, achieving a signal-to-noise ratio of 140:1.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2022•0 citations

Ultra-fast heralded single photon source based on telecom technology

Lutfi Arif Ngah, Olivier Alibart, Laurent Labonté +2 more

The realization of an ultra-fast source of heralded single photons emitted at the wavelength of 1540 nm is reported. The presented strategy is based on state-of-the-art telecom technology, combined with off-the-shelf fiber components and waveguide non-linear stages pumped by a 10 GHz repetition rate laser. The single photons are heralded at a rate as high as 2.1 MHz with a heralding efficiency of 42%. Single photon character of the source is inferred by measuring the second-order autocorrelation function. For the highest heralding rate, a value as low as 0.023 is found. This not only proves negligible multi-photon contributions but also represents the best measured value reported to date for heralding rates in the MHz regime. These prime performances, associated with a device-like configuration, are key ingredients for both fast and secure quantum communication protocols.

arXiv:1412.5427•Dec 17, 2014•0 citations

Fibre-integrated noise gating of high-purity heralded single photons

Robert J A Francis-Jones, Peter J. Mosley

We present an all-fibre source of high-purity heralded single photons with an integrated conditional optical gate that reduces uncorrelated noise by almost an order of magnitude.Generating photon pairs by four-wave mixing in photonic crystal fibre, we observe with the noise gate active a factor of 7 reduction in the rate of single counts in the heralded channel with no measurable drop in coincidence count rate.In contrast to electronic post-selection of coincidence events, the real reduction in the flux of unwanted photons is beneficial for example to avoid bleaching light-sensitive samples or in generating entangled states.

arXiv:1705.01778•Journal of Optics•Aug 25, 2017•5 citations

With the recent progresses in quantum technologies, single photon sources have gained a primary relevance. Here we present a heralded single photon source characterized by an extremely low level of noise photons, realized by exploiting low-jitter electronics and detectors and fast custom-made electronics used to control an optical shutter (a LiNbO3 waveguide optical switch) at the output of the source. This single photon source showed a second-order autocorrelation function g(2)(0) = 0:005(7), and an Output Noise Factor (defined as the ratio of noise photons to total photons at the source output) of 0:25(1)%, among the best ever achieved.

Low noise single-photon sources are a critical element for quantum technologies. We present a heralded single-photon source with an extremely low level of residual background photons, by implementing low-jitter detectors and electronics and a fast custom-made pulse generator controlling an optical shutter (a LiNbO3 waveguide optical switch) on the output of the source. This source has a second-order autocorrelation g(2)(0)=0.005(7), and an output noise factor (defined as the ratio of the number of noise photons to total photons at the source output channel) of 0.25(1)%. These are the best performance characteristics reported to date.

The realization of an ultra-fast source of heralded single photons emitted at the wavelength of 1540 nm is reported. The presented strategy is based on state-of-the-art telecom technology, combined with off-the-shelf fiber components and waveguide non-linear stages pumped by a 10 GHz repetition rate laser. The single photons are heralded at a rate as high as 2.1 MHz with a heralding efficiency of 42%. Single photon character of the source is inferred by measuring the second-order autocorrelation function. For the highest heralding rate, a value as low as 0.023 is found. This not only proves negligible multi-photon contributions but also represents the best measured value reported to date for heralding rates in the MHz regime. These prime performances, associated with a device-like configuration, are key ingredients for both fast and secure quantum communication protocols.

We present an all-fibre source of high-purity heralded single photons with an integrated conditional optical gate that reduces uncorrelated noise by almost an order of magnitude.Generating photon pairs by four-wave mixing in photonic crystal fibre, we observe with the noise gate active a factor of 7 reduction in the rate of single counts in the heralded channel with no measurable drop in coincidence count rate.In contrast to electronic post-selection of coincidence events, the real reduction in the flux of unwanted photons is beneficial for example to avoid bleaching light-sensitive samples or in generating entangled states.