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Effect of Loss on Multiplexed Single-Photon Sources (Open Access Publisher's Version)

Damien Bonneau, Gabriel J. Mendoza, Jeremy L. O’Brien, Mark G. Thompson

Published Apr 28, 2015• 1 citation
OpenAlex

Abstract

Abstract : An on-demand single-photon source is a key requirement for scaling many optical quantum technologies. A promising approach to realize an on-demand single-photon source is to multiplex an array of heralded single-photon sources using an active optical switching network. However, the performance of multiplexed sources is degraded by photon loss in the optical components and the non-unit detection efficiency of the heralding detectors. We provide a theoretical description of a general multiplexed single-photon source with lossy components and derive expressions for the output probabilities of single-photon emission and multi-photon contamination. We apply these expressions to three specific multiplexing source architectures and consider their tradeoffs in design and performance. To assess the effect of lossy components on near- and long-term experimental goals, we simulate the multiplexed sources when used for many-photon state generation under various amounts of component loss. We find that with a multiplexed source composed of switches with0.20.4 dB loss and high efficiency number-resolving detectors, a single-photon source capable of efficiently producing 2040 photon states with low multi-photon contamination is possible, offering the possibility of unlocking new classes of experiments and technologies.

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Abstract : An on-demand single-photon source is a key requirement for scaling many optical quantum technologies. A promising approach to realize an on-demand single-photon source is to multiplex an array of heralded single-photon sources using an active optical switching network. However, the performance of multiplexed sources is degraded by photon loss in the optical components and the non-unit detection efficiency of the heralding detectors. We provide a theoretical description of a general multiplexed single-photon source with lossy components and derive expressions for the output probabilities of single-photon emission and multi-photon contamination. We apply these expressions to three specific multiplexing source architectures and consider their tradeoffs in design and performance. To assess the effect of lossy components on near- and long-term experimental goals, we simulate the multiplexed sources when used for many-photon state generation under various amounts of component loss. We find that with a multiplexed source composed of switches with0.20.4 dB loss and high efficiency number-resolving detectors, a single-photon source capable of efficiently producing 2040 photon states with low multi-photon contamination is possible, offering the possibility of unlocking new classes of experiments and technologies.
An on-demand single-photon source is a key requirement for scaling many optical quantum technologies. A promising approach to realize an on-demand single-photon source is to multiplex an array of heralded single-photon sources using an active optical switching network. However, the performance of multiplexed sources is degraded by photon loss in the optical components and the non-unit detection efficiency of the heralding detectors. We provide a theoretical description of a general multiplexed single-photon source with lossy components and derive expressions for the output probabilities of single-photon emission and multi-photon contamination. We apply these expressions to three specific multiplexing source architectures and consider their tradeoffs in design and performance. To assess the effect of lossy components on near- and long-term experimental goals, we simulate the multiplexed sources when used for many-photon state generation under various amounts of component loss. We find that with a multiplexed source composed of switches with ∼ 0.2 − 0.4 dB loss and high efficiency number-resolving detectors, a single-photon source capable of efficiently producing 20–40 photon states with low multi-photon contamination is possible, offering the possibility of unlocking new classes of experiments and technologies.
Scalable quantum photonic technologies require the simultaneous production of highly indistinguishable multi-photon states with high probability. This need may be met, and the output probability significantly increased by multiplexed sources, which channel numerous low-probability heralded single-photon sources into a specified output mode using time or spatial multiplexing. However, conventional methods merely replicate these multiplexing units when scaled to multiple output modes, which is fundamentally inefficient because it discards many valid multi-photon events. To address this, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel multiplexing source architecture based on a multi-input/multi-output switching network, which can utilize combinatorial photon events. A super-exponential enhancement in multi-port single-photon creation is revealed by theoretical analysis, which significantly reduces the number of heralded single-photon sources needed. We demonstrate multiplexing with two output ports, supported by four integrated heralded single-photon sources. Our strategy has a generation probability of 1.60 times that of conventional methods and 2.58 times that of implementations without multiplexing. This multi-port multiplexed method opens a new avenue for establishing a solid foundation for advanced multi-photon quantum interference and large-scale quantum information processing.
Abstract : Single photons sources are desired for many potential quantum information applications. One common method to produce single photons is based on a heralding protocol, which involves generating a pair of photons in an optical nonlinear medium and then detecting one photon in the pair to announce the existence of the other photon of the pair. Compared to other schemes, such a method offers several significant advantages. A major challenge to overcome which is inherent to this method, however, is that the photon pairs are created stochastically in the optical nonlinear medium. Thus, in order to ensure high purity levels for the single photons generated via heralding, sources of this type must be operated at low photon-pair production rates in order to keep the probability for simultaneous creation of multiple photon-pairs to an acceptably low level. A direct result of this restriction is a low heralding rate of single photons. A potential solution for achieving high-rate, high-purity, single-photon generation combines several heralding single-photon sources which are actively multiplexed to act as one source. The overall goal of this project is to develop methods to perform such multiplexing based on the use of a low loss high speed fiber optical switch.
Abstract The reliable, deterministic production of trustworthy high-quality single photons is a critical component of discrete variable, optical quantum technology. For single-photon based fully error-corrected quantum computing systems, it is estimated that photon sources will be required to produce a reliable stream of photons at rates exceeding 1 GHz (Vigliar et al., 2021). Photon multiplexing, where low probability sources are combined with switching networks to route successful production events to an output, are a potential solution but requires extremely fast single-photon switching with ultra-low-loss rates. In this paper, we examine the specific properties of the switching elements and present a new design that exploits the general one-way properties of common switching elements such as thermal pads. By introducing multiple switches to a basic, temporal multiplexing device, we can use slow switching elements in a multiplexed source being pumped at much faster rates. We model this design under multiple error channels and show that anticipated performance is now limited by the intrinsic loss rate of the optical waveguides within integrated photonic chipsets. While the developed design does not achieve the necessary 1 GHz photon rate, we demonstrate design elements that could become useful when underlying technology improves.
Current sources of heralded single photons based on nonlinear optics operate in a probabilistic manner. In order to build quantum-enhanced devices based around the use of single photons, compact, turn-key and deterministic sources are required. A possible solution is to multiplex a number of sources to increase the single-photon generation probability and in so doing reducing the waiting time to deliver large numbers of photons simultaneously, from independent sources. Previously it has been shown that, in the ideal case, 17 multiplexed sources allow deterministic generation of heralded single photons [Christ and Silberhorn, Phys. Rev. A 85, 023829 (2012)]. Here we extend this analysis to include undesirable effects of detector inefficiency and photon loss on a number of multiplexed sources using a variety of different detectors for heralding. We compare these systems for fixed signal-to-noise ratio to allow a direct comparison of performance for real- world heralded single photon sources.
Deterministic generation of single- and multiphoton states is a key requirement for large-scale optical quantum information and communication applications. While heralded single-photon sources (HSPSs) using nonlinear optical processes have enabled proof-of-principle demonstrations in this area of research, they are not scalable as their probabilistic nature severely limits their generation efficiency. We overcome this limitation by demonstrating a substantial improvement in HSPS efficiency via large-scale time multiplexing. Using an ultra-low loss, adjustable optical delay to multiplex 40 conventional HSPS photon generation processes into each operation cycle, we have observed a factor of 9.7(5) enhancement in efficiency, yielding a 66.7(24)% probability of collecting a single photon with high indistinguishability (90%) into a single-mode fiber per cycle. We also experimentally investigate the trade-off between a high single-photon probability and unwanted multiphoton emission. Upgrading our time-multiplexed source with state-of-the-art HSPS and single-photon detector technologies will enable the generation of >30 coincident photons with unprecedented efficiency.