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Nonlinear Optics

Nearly-background-free, phase-preserving parametric up-conversion at the single-photon level

Yu‐Hsiang Cheng, Tim O. Thomay, Glenn S. Solomon, Alan L. Migdall, Sergey V. Polyakov

Published Jan 1, 2015• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a background-free (to within experimental uncertainty) frequency up-converter. In addition, high fringe contrast at a single-photon-level in an up-converting interferometer is demonstrated, an enabling step towards faithful up-conversion of entangled photon pairs.
DOI
10.1364/nlo.2015.nw2a.3

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We demonstrate up-conversion with no statistically significant background photons and a dynamic range of 15 decades. Near-infrared 920 nm photons were converted into the visible at 577 nm using periodically poled lithium niobate waveguides pumped by a 1550 nm laser. In addition to achieving statistically noiseless frequency up-conversion, we report a high degree of phase preservation (with fringe visibilities ≥ 0.97) at the single-photon level using an up-converting Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This background-free process opens a path to single-photon detection with no intrinsic dark count. Combined with a demonstrated photon-number preserving property of an up-converter, this work demonstrates the feasibility of noiseless frequency up-conversion of entangled photon pairs.
We characterize an efficient and nearly-noiseless parametric frequency upconverter. The ultra-low noise regime is reached by the wide spectral separation between the input and pump frequencies and the low pump frequency relative to the input photons. The background of only ≈100 photons per hour is demonstrated. We demonstrate phase preservation in a frequency upconversion process at the single-photon level. We summarize our efforts to measure this ultra-low noise level, and discuss both single-photon avalanche photodiode measurements and a photon-counting transition edge sensor (TES) measurements. To reach the required accuracy, we supplemented our TES with a dark count reduction algorithm. The preservation of the coherence was demonstrated by simultaneously upconverting the input of each arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer through high interference fringe contrast. We observe fringe visibilities of ≥0.97 with faint coherent input.
Abstract Due to their frequency scaling and long-term coherence, frequency combs at the single-photon level can provide a fascinating platform for developments in quantum technology. Here we demonstrate frequency comb single-photon interferometry in an unheralded manner. We are able to induce coherence by erasing the which-way information of path-entangled photon pairs. The photon pairs are prepared using a dual parametric down-conversion pumped by a highly stable frequency comb laser and an ultra-narrow seed laser. This is conducted at the extremely low-conversion efficiency regime. The unique feature of our quantum interferometer is that the induced one-photon interference of the path-encoded single photons (signal), with multiple frequency components, is observed with a unit visibility without heralding conjugate photons (idler). We demonstrate that quantum information and frequency comb technology can be combined to realize quantum information platforms. We expect this will contribute to the application of quantum information and optical measurements beyond the classical limit.
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