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What are single photons good for?

Nicolas Sangouard, Hugo Zbinden

Published Jan 1, 2012• 43 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In a long-held preconception, photons play a central role in present-day quantum technologies. But what are sources producing photons one by one good for precisely? Well, in opposition to what many suggest, we show that single-photon sources are not helpful for point to point quantum key distribution because faint laser pulses do the job comfortably. However, there is no doubt about the usefulness of sources producing single photons for future quantum technologies. In particular, we show how single-photon sources could become the seed of a revolution in the framework of quantum communication, making the security of quantum key distribution device-independent or extending quantum communication over many hundreds of kilometers. Hopefully, these promising applications will provide a guideline for researchers to develop more and more efficient sources, producing narrowband, pure and indistinguishable photons at appropriate wavelengths.

Related papers

What are single photons good for?

Nicolas Sangouard, Hugo Zbinden

In a long-held preconception, photons play a central role in present-day quantum technologies. But what are sources producing photons one by one good for precisely? Well, in opposition to what many suggest, we show that single-photon sources are not helpful for point to point quantum key distribution because faint laser pulses do the job comfortably. However, there is no doubt about the usefulness of sources producing single photons for future quantum technologies. In particular, we show how single-photon sources could become the seed of a revolution in the framework of quantum communication, making the security of quantum key distribution device-independent or extending quantum communication over many hundreds of kilometers. Hopefully, these promising applications will provide a guideline for researchers to develop more and more efficient sources, producing narrowband, pure and indistinguishable photons at appropriate wavelengths.

arXiv:1202.0493•Journal of Modern Optics•May 28, 2012•68 citations

ANALYSIS OF SINGLE PHOTON SOURCES WITH QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

Yu. B. Mironov, Sergey Yu. Kazantsev, Roman Shakhovoy +4 more

Introduction: The analysis of the main directions of research in the field of creating sources of single photons for communication systems with quantum key distribution is carried out. Scientometric analysis based on Scopus database is used to identify the most promising areas and predict the trends in the field of single photon sources. Methods of single photon sources development and their applications in commercial communication systems with quantum key distribution is shown. At the time single photons sources based on quantum dots are the most developed and presented on the market. However, color centers in nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes are intensively studied. The prospects of creating compact and easy-to-use sources of single photons on telecommunication wavelengths is analyzed. There are many ways of realization of single photon sources design. Significant funding in China and Germany leads to notable growth of the technology. It was detected the main journals, author groups and organizations working in direction of single photon sources. Methods and Results: The research field of communication systems using sources of single photons is growing. It is available single photon sources on quantum dots and crystals. Applying of carbon nanotubes is promising for this problem according to some famous authors. It is revealed significant overlap of the research areas: single photon sources, quantum random number generators and quantum key distribution. At the time fundamental studies are implemented in technical devices with high potential for commercial applications.

H&ES Research•Jan 1, 2021•12 citations

An Efficient, High-Quality Single-Photon Source

Xing Ding, Yu He, Z.-C. Duan +9 more

In recent decades, single-photon sources have emerged as key resources in the emerging field of quantum information, including quantum key distribution, quantum teleportation and optical quantum computing. To be practically useful for scalable quantum technologies, a single-photon source must simultaneously possess three qualities: high purity, photon indistinguishability and efficiency. We have developed a single-photon source that combines all three of these key features into a single device.

Optics and Photonics News•Dec 1, 2016•0 citations

Quantum Light Sources: New Frontiers in Photonic Quantum Information Processing

Dr. Nathaniel Brooks

A key element in the quickly developing science of photonic quantum information processing is quantum light sources. These sources are crucial for applications in quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum communication because they can produce both single photons and entangled photon pairs. The efficiency, scalability, and performance of quantum light sources have been greatly enhanced by recent developments in four-wave mixing, spontaneous parametric down-conversion, and quantum dot technology. the most recent advancements in constructed quantum light sources, emphasizing how they help solve important problems including coherence, indistinguishability, and integration with current photonic systems. We explore how these sources can improve the fidelity and reliability of quantum circuits and how they could transform fault-tolerant quantum computing and secure communication networks in the future. In order to further the practical application of quantum technologies, the study also suggests potential paths for combining quantum light sources with scalable photonic systems.

`Cadernos de Pós-Graduação em Direito Político e Econômico•May 27, 2026•0 citations

Overview of applications of heralded single photon source in quantum key distribution

Jie Meng, Le-Chen Xu, Chengjun Zhang +2 more

In this paper, we mainly introduce the preparation and physical properties of the heralded single-photon source, the development history and its applications in three typical quantum key distribution protocols, including BB84, measurement-device-independent and twin-field quantum key distribution protocols. Moreover, we make comparisons of the above quantum key distribution protocols between using heralded single-photon source and using weak coherent sources, and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. Besides, according to the characteristics of single-photon interference in twin-field quantum key distributions, the limitations of separately applying heralded single-photon sources to twin-field quantum key distributions are revealed, and possible solutions are discussed. Therefore, this work may provide valuable references and help for the practical implementation of quantum secure communication in the near future.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2022•2 citations

Single photon sources: ubiquitous tools in quantum information processing

Urbasi Sinha, Surya Narayan Sahoo, Ashutosh Singh +3 more

Quantum technologies are the next big revolution in information technologies, computing, communication security, sensing as well as metrology. What do you use to explore all these fascinating applications when you work in Optics? Photons of course. In this review, we discuss the different available single photon source technologies, compare and contrast them in terms of applicability and properties, discuss state of the art and conclude that the future is indeed bright!

arXiv:1906.09565•Jun 23, 2019•1 citation
In a long-held preconception, photons play a central role in present-day quantum technologies. But what are sources producing photons one by one good for precisely? Well, in opposition to what many suggest, we show that single-photon sources are not helpful for point to point quantum key distribution because faint laser pulses do the job comfortably. However, there is no doubt about the usefulness of sources producing single photons for future quantum technologies. In particular, we show how single-photon sources could become the seed of a revolution in the framework of quantum communication, making the security of quantum key distribution device-independent or extending quantum communication over many hundreds of kilometers. Hopefully, these promising applications will provide a guideline for researchers to develop more and more efficient sources, producing narrowband, pure and indistinguishable photons at appropriate wavelengths.
In a long-held preconception, photons play a central role in present-day quantum technologies. But what are sources producing photons one by one good for precisely? Well, in opposition to what many suggest, we show that single-photon sources are not helpful for point to point quantum key distribution because faint laser pulses do the job comfortably. However, there is no doubt about the usefulness of sources producing single photons for future quantum technologies. In particular, we show how single-photon sources could become the seed of a revolution in the framework of quantum communication, making the security of quantum key distribution device-independent or extending quantum communication over many hundreds of kilometers. Hopefully, these promising applications will provide a guideline for researchers to develop more and more efficient sources, producing narrowband, pure and indistinguishable photons at appropriate wavelengths.
Introduction: The analysis of the main directions of research in the field of creating sources of single photons for communication systems with quantum key distribution is carried out. Scientometric analysis based on Scopus database is used to identify the most promising areas and predict the trends in the field of single photon sources. Methods of single photon sources development and their applications in commercial communication systems with quantum key distribution is shown. At the time single photons sources based on quantum dots are the most developed and presented on the market. However, color centers in nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes are intensively studied. The prospects of creating compact and easy-to-use sources of single photons on telecommunication wavelengths is analyzed. There are many ways of realization of single photon sources design. Significant funding in China and Germany leads to notable growth of the technology. It was detected the main journals, author groups and organizations working in direction of single photon sources. Methods and Results: The research field of communication systems using sources of single photons is growing. It is available single photon sources on quantum dots and crystals. Applying of carbon nanotubes is promising for this problem according to some famous authors. It is revealed significant overlap of the research areas: single photon sources, quantum random number generators and quantum key distribution. At the time fundamental studies are implemented in technical devices with high potential for commercial applications.
A key element in the quickly developing science of photonic quantum information processing is quantum light sources. These sources are crucial for applications in quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum communication because they can produce both single photons and entangled photon pairs. The efficiency, scalability, and performance of quantum light sources have been greatly enhanced by recent developments in four-wave mixing, spontaneous parametric down-conversion, and quantum dot technology. the most recent advancements in constructed quantum light sources, emphasizing how they help solve important problems including coherence, indistinguishability, and integration with current photonic systems. We explore how these sources can improve the fidelity and reliability of quantum circuits and how they could transform fault-tolerant quantum computing and secure communication networks in the future. In order to further the practical application of quantum technologies, the study also suggests potential paths for combining quantum light sources with scalable photonic systems.
In this paper, we mainly introduce the preparation and physical properties of the heralded single-photon source, the development history and its applications in three typical quantum key distribution protocols, including BB84, measurement-device-independent and twin-field quantum key distribution protocols. Moreover, we make comparisons of the above quantum key distribution protocols between using heralded single-photon source and using weak coherent sources, and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. Besides, according to the characteristics of single-photon interference in twin-field quantum key distributions, the limitations of separately applying heralded single-photon sources to twin-field quantum key distributions are revealed, and possible solutions are discussed. Therefore, this work may provide valuable references and help for the practical implementation of quantum secure communication in the near future.