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Chinese Physics Letters

High-Efficiency Broadband Near-Infrared Single-Photon Frequency Upconversion and Detection*

Jianhui Ma, Huiqin Hu, Yu Chen, Guang-Jian Xu, Haifeng Pan, E Wu

Published Mar 1, 2020• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate a high efficiency broadband near infrared single-photon upconversion and detection with a broadband pump laser based on sum frequency conversion in the PPLN crystal. By using a pump laser centered at 1040 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 10 nm, the signal single-photons centered at 1562 nm with a broadband bandwidth up to 7.2 nm are frequency-converted from the near infrared to the visible regime. A maximum conversion efficiency of 18.8% is achieved, while the background noise is measured to be only 1.2 × 10−3 counts/pulse. The corresponding spectral linewidth of the upconverted photons is 0.2 nm. This scheme of broadband infrared single-photon upconversion and detection provides potential solutions in infrared laser ranging, broadband infrared imaging and quantum key distribution.

DOI
10.1088/0256-307x/37/3/034202

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We propose and demonstrate a high efficiency broadband near infrared single-photon upconversion and detection with a broadband pump laser based on sum frequency conversion in the PPLN crystal. By using a pump laser centered at 1040 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 10 nm, the signal single-photons centered at 1562 nm with a broadband bandwidth up to 7.2 nm are frequency-converted from the near infrared to the visible regime. A maximum conversion efficiency of 18.8% is achieved, while the background noise is measured to be only 1.2 × 10−3 counts/pulse. The corresponding spectral linewidth of the upconverted photons is 0.2 nm. This scheme of broadband infrared single-photon upconversion and detection provides potential solutions in infrared laser ranging, broadband infrared imaging and quantum key distribution.
We propose a method of single photon detection of infrared (IR) photons at potentially higher efficiencies and lower noise than allowed by traditional IR band avalanche photodiodes (APDs). By up-converting the photon from the IR, e.g. 1550 nm, to a visible wavelength in a nonlinear crystal, we can utilize the much higher efficiency of silicon APDs at these wavelengths. We have used a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal and a pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser to perform the up-conversion to a 631 nm photon. We observed conversion efficiencies as high as ∼ 80%, and demonstrated scaling down to the single photon level while maintaining a background of 3 ×s; 10−4 dark counts per count. We also propose a 2-crystal extension of this scheme, whereby orthogonal polarizations may be up-converted coherently, thus enabling complete quantum state transduction of arbitrary states.
We propose a method of single photon detection of infrared (IR) photons at potentially higher efficiencies and lower noise than allowed by traditional IR band avalanche photodiodes (APDs). By up-converting the photon from the IR, e.g. 1550 nm, to a visible wavelength in a nonlinear crystal, we can utilize the much higher efficiency of silicon APDs at these wavelengths. We have used a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal and a pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser to perform the up-conversion to a 631 nm photon. We observed conversion efficiencies as high as ∼ 80%, and demonstrated scaling down to the single photon level while maintaining a background of 3 ×s; 10−4 dark counts per count. We also propose a 2-crystal extension of this scheme, whereby orthogonal polarizations may be up-converted coherently, thus enabling complete quantum state transduction of arbitrary states.
We propose a method of single photon detection of infrared (IR) photons at potentially higher efficiencies and lower noise than allowed by traditional IR band Avalanche Photodiodes (APD). By up-converting the photon from IR, e.g., 1550 nm, to a visible wavelength in a nonlinear crystal, we can utilize the much higher efficiency of visible wavelength APDs. We have used a nonlinear crystal -- Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) -- and a pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser to perform the up-conversion to a 631-nm photon. When properly quasi-phase-matched, PPLN provides a large enough second order nonlinear susceptibility that near unit conversion efficiency of the IR photon into the visible should be possible. We have been able to observe peak conversion efficiencies as high as 80%, and have demonstrated scaling down to the single photon level while maintaining a background of 3 x 10-4 dark counts/count. Since the PPLN only acts on one polarization of the single photon, we also propose a 2-crystal extension of this scheme whereby orthogonal polarizations may be up-converted coherently, thereby enabling complete quantum state transduction.
Single-photon signals at 1.56 ¿m were converted into the visible region by sum-frequency generation, with synchronous pump pulses at 1.03 ¿m in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. The signal and pump sources were provided by two synchronized mode-locked fiber lasers at the operation rate of 7.88 MHz. Such a high-speed single-photon upconversion system has shown an overall detection efficiency of 10.4%. The corresponding background noise was measured to be 3.3 × 103s-1. The noise-equivalent power in this scheme was 9.93 × 10-17W/Hz1/2, which was the lowest compared to the other upconversion systems with similar pump and signal wavelengths.
We demonstrate an efficient mid-infrared single-photon detection system with ultra-low background counts based on the frequency upconversion detection technique. The signal photons of 3.39 μm came from a He–Ne laser and the pump beam was provided by a mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser. Taking into account the pulsed pumping and continuous-wave signaling scheme, the peak conversion efficiency of 64% was achieved at an average pump power of 28.3 mW. The corresponding detection efficiency was inferred to be 6.1% with ultra-low background counts of 400 s −1 .
A single-photon signal at 1.55 microm was converted to the visible region by sum-frequency mixing with a strong pumping beam at 1064 nm in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal placed in a diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser cavity. As the intracavity pump laser could be automatically stabilized without cavity lock, robust long-term stability was demonstrated for single-photon frequency upconversion, with a conversion efficiency of 74.3%. Such a stable single-photon upconversion was demonstrated to be efficient and robust for single-photon counting at 1550 nm, and the corresponding background noise was measured at less than 420 x 10(3) s(-1).