Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Improving single photon sources via linear optics and photodetection

Dominic William Berry, Stefan Scheel, P. L. Knight, Barry C. Sanders

Published Jan 1, 2004• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Current single photon sources produce single photons with probability p<1. We show how to increase p via postprocessing with linear optics and photodetection, and discuss the limitations to this method.
DOI
10.1364/iqec.2004.itha2

Related papers

Improving single-photon sources via linear optics and photodetection

Dominic William Berry, Stefan Scheel, Barry C. Sanders +1 more

Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with nonzero probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states with probabilities $1\ensuremath{-}p$ and $p$, respectively. Here we are concerned with increasing the efficiency $p$ by directing multiple copies of the single-photon-vacuum mixture into a linear optical device and applying photodetection on some outputs. We prove that it is impossible, under certain conditions, to increase $p$ via linear optics and conditional preparation based on photodetection. We also establish a class of photodetection events for which $p$ can be improved, although with an added multiphoton component. In addition we prove that it is not possible to obtain perfect single-photon states via this method from imperfect $(p<1)$ inputs.

arXiv:quant-ph/0309140•Physical Review A•Mar 1, 2004•21 citations

Improving single photon sources via linear optics and photodetection

Dominic William Berry, Stefan Scheel, Casey R. Myers +3 more

Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. We describe a method for increasing the probability of a single photon via a chain of beam splitters. This method has the drawbacks that it introduces a significant multiphoton component, and it can not be used to increase the probability for a single photon above 1/2. Part of the reason for these drawbacks is the incoherence in the photon sources. If the photon sources produced pure states rather than incoherent superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single photon output. The method for incoherent inputs is robust against detector inefficiencies, but sensitive to dark counts and the multiphoton component in the input.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 25, 2004•3 citations

Post-processing with linear optics for improving the quality of single-photon sources

Dominic William Berry, Stefan Scheel, Casey R. Myers +3 more

Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states. We show that it is impossible to increase the probability for a single photon using linear optics and photodetection on fewer than four modes. This impossibility is due to the incoherence of the inputs; if the inputs were pure-state superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single-photon output. In the more general case, a chain of beam splitters can be used to increase the probability for a single photon, but at the expense of adding an additional multiphoton component. This improvement is robust against detector inefficiencies, but is degraded by distinguishable photons, dark counts or multiphoton components in the input.

arXiv:quant-ph/0402018•New Journal of Physics•Jul 30, 2004•19 citations

Post-processing with linear optics for improving the quality of single-photon sources

Dominic William Berry, Scheel, S, Casey R. Myers +3 more

Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states. We show that it is impossible to increase the probability for a single photon using linear optics and photodetection on fewer than four modes. This impossibility is due to the incoherence of the inputs; if the inputs were pure-state superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single-photon output. In the more general case, a chain of beam splitters can be used to increase the probability for a single photon, but at the expense of adding an additional multiphoton component. This improvement is robust against detector inefficiencies, but is degraded by dark counts or multiphoton components in the input.

•Feb 3, 2004•14 citations

Focus on Single Photons on Demand

Philippe Grangier, Barry C. Sanders, Jelena Vuckovic A

It is safe to say that, when the concept of the photon was first introduced, the generation of single photons was not being considered. Until the emergence of the ideas and methods of quantum optics, the `single-photon regime' was attained by strongly attenuating a laser beam to ensure that the probability of having more than one photon became negligible. However, such attenuated beams differ from `true' single photons in at least two respects: first, the vacuum probability is much higher than the probability of detecting a photon, so one gets predominantly a `no-photon' regime with occasional detection of a photon; second, the probability of getting two photons is never zero, but essentially follows a Poisson law. Although the weak beam has been useful in quantum optics, the advent of quantum information science has placed stringent demands on optical sources, namely that sources produce single photons either on demand or heralded. In particular secure quantum cryptography and linear optical quantum computing depend on the availability of such single-photon sources. The combination of strict requirements for single photons, plus new technologies, is driving an exciting research effort into single-photon generation. This Focus Issue recognizes that single-photon sources are rapidly developing and presents research articles covering the spectrum of activity in the field. Significant advances are reported for single-photon and photon-pair sources constructed from quantum dots in pillar microcavities, parametric down converters, falling neutral atoms and trapped ions in cavities, defects in diamond nanocrystals and a single molecule in a solid. In addition to producing single-photon pulses, one article reports on the latest developments regarding the production of photon number states in a microwave cavity. Another article discusses the application of a nitrogen-vacancy-based single-photon source to an experimental demonstration of quantum key distribution in open air. Photodetection performs a critical role in assessing single-photon sources as well as heralding the arrival of a single photon based on detecting a correlated partner, and this issue presents the latest results on single-photon counting with a superconducting niobium nitride hot-electron bolometer. Another article provides a detailed study of how to characterize single-photon sources via intensity noise analyses. Photodetection is also important for post-selection-based processing for non-deterministic quantum information tasks, and this issue presents an analysis of photodetection and post-selection used in another way: enhancing the efficiency of single-photon sources by interferometry, photodetection and post-selection. New Journal of Physics appreciates the rapid pace of development in the area of single photons on demand. This Focus Issue presents the latest developments and also points to a bright future with better photon sources. Focus on Single Photons on Demand Contents Photon statistics characterization of a single-photon source R Alleaume, F Treussart, J-M Courty and J-F Roch Photon statistics of a non-stationary periodically driven single-photon source M Hennrich, T Legero, A Kuhn and G Rempe On the measurement of two-photon single-mode coupling efficiency in parametric down-conversion photon sources S Castelletto, I P Degiovanni, A Migdall and M Ware Single-photon sources based on single molecules in solids W E Moerner Single-photon generation with InAs quantum dots Charles Santori, David Fattal, Jelena Vuckovic, Glenn S Solomon and Yoshihisa Yamamoto Visible single-photon generation from semiconductor quantum dots Thomas Aichele, Valery Zwiller and Oliver Benson Enhanced correlated photon pair emission from a pillar microcavity M Benyoucef, S M Ulrich, P Michler, J Wiersig, F Jahnke and A Forchel Experimental open-air quantum key distribution with a single-photon source R Alleaume, F Treussart, G Messin, Y Dumeige, J-F Roch, A Beveratos, R Brouri-Tualle, J-P Poizat and P Grangier Post-processing with linear optics for improving the quality of single-photon sources Dominic W Berry, Stefan Scheel, Casey R Myers, Barry C Sanders, Peter L Knight and Raymond Laflamme A single-photon source based on a single Ca+ ion Christian Maurer, Christoph Becher, Carlos Russo, Jurgen Eschner and Rainer Blatt A calcium ion in a cavity as a controlled single-photon source M Keller, B Lange, K Hayasaka, W Lange and H Walther Quantum optics with single quantum dot devices Valery Zwiller, Thomas Aichele and Oliver Benson The creation and detection of arbitrary photon number states using cavity QED Benjamin T H Varcoe, Simon Brattke and Herbert Walther Stable single-photon source in the near infrared T Gaebel, I Popa, A Gruber, M Domhan, F Jelezko and J Wrachtrup Colloidal CdSe/ZnS quantum dots as single-photon sources X Brokmann, G Messin, P Desbiolles, E Giacobino, M Dahan and J P Hermier Towards a periodic deterministic source of arbitrary single-photon states Evan Jeffrey, Nicholas A Peters and Paul G Kwiat Fabrication of a superconducting niobium nitride hot electron bolometer for single-photon counting R Romestain, B Delaet, P Renaud-Goud, I Wang, C Jorel, J-C Villegier and J-Ph Poizat High-quality asynchronous heralded single-photon source at telecom wavelength Sylvain Fasel, Olivier Alibart, Sebastien Tanzilli, Pascal Baldi, Alexios Beveratos, Nicolas Gisin and Hugo Zbinden Philippe Grangier, Institut d'Optique Theorique et Appliquee, Orsay, France Barry Sanders, University of Calgary, Canada Jelena Vuckovic, Stanford University, CA, USA

New Journal of Physics•Jul 29, 2004•87 citations

Tailoring single-photon and multiphoton probabilities of a single-photon on-demand source

Alan L. Migdall, David A. Branning, Stefania Castelletto

As typically implemented, single-photon sources cannot be made to produce single photons with high probability, while simultaneously suppressing the probability of yielding two or more photons. Because of this, single-photon sources cannot really produce single photons on demand. We describe a multiplexed system that allows the probabilities of producing one and more photons to be adjusted independently, enabling a much better approximation of a source of single photons on demand.

arXiv:quant-ph/0205140•Physical Review A•Nov 13, 2002•309 citations
Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with nonzero probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states with probabilities $1\ensuremath{-}p$ and ppp, respectively. Here we are concerned with increasing the efficiency ppp by directing multiple copies of the single-photon-vacuum mixture into a linear optical device and applying photodetection on some outputs. We prove that it is impossible, under certain conditions, to increase ppp via linear optics and conditional preparation based on photodetection. We also establish a class of photodetection events for which ppp can be improved, although with an added multiphoton component. In addition we prove that it is not possible to obtain perfect single-photon states via this method from imperfect (p<1)(p<1)(p<1) inputs.
Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. We describe a method for increasing the probability of a single photon via a chain of beam splitters. This method has the drawbacks that it introduces a significant multiphoton component, and it can not be used to increase the probability for a single photon above 1/2. Part of the reason for these drawbacks is the incoherence in the photon sources. If the photon sources produced pure states rather than incoherent superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single photon output. The method for incoherent inputs is robust against detector inefficiencies, but sensitive to dark counts and the multiphoton component in the input.
Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states. We show that it is impossible to increase the probability for a single photon using linear optics and photodetection on fewer than four modes. This impossibility is due to the incoherence of the inputs; if the inputs were pure-state superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single-photon output. In the more general case, a chain of beam splitters can be used to increase the probability for a single photon, but at the expense of adding an additional multiphoton component. This improvement is robust against detector inefficiencies, but is degraded by distinguishable photons, dark counts or multiphoton components in the input.
Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states. We show that it is impossible to increase the probability for a single photon using linear optics and photodetection on fewer than four modes. This impossibility is due to the incoherence of the inputs; if the inputs were pure-state superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single-photon output. In the more general case, a chain of beam splitters can be used to increase the probability for a single photon, but at the expense of adding an additional multiphoton component. This improvement is robust against detector inefficiencies, but is degraded by dark counts or multiphoton components in the input.
It is safe to say that, when the concept of the photon was first introduced, the generation of single photons was not being considered. Until the emergence of the ideas and methods of quantum optics, the `single-photon regime' was attained by strongly attenuating a laser beam to ensure that the probability of having more than one photon became negligible. However, such attenuated beams differ from `true' single photons in at least two respects: first, the vacuum probability is much higher than the probability of detecting a photon, so one gets predominantly a `no-photon' regime with occasional detection of a photon; second, the probability of getting two photons is never zero, but essentially follows a Poisson law. Although the weak beam has been useful in quantum optics, the advent of quantum information science has placed stringent demands on optical sources, namely that sources produce single photons either on demand or heralded. In particular secure quantum cryptography and linear optical quantum computing depend on the availability of such single-photon sources. The combination of strict requirements for single photons, plus new technologies, is driving an exciting research effort into single-photon generation. This Focus Issue recognizes that single-photon sources are rapidly developing and presents research articles covering the spectrum of activity in the field. Significant advances are reported for single-photon and photon-pair sources constructed from quantum dots in pillar microcavities, parametric down converters, falling neutral atoms and trapped ions in cavities, defects in diamond nanocrystals and a single molecule in a solid. In addition to producing single-photon pulses, one article reports on the latest developments regarding the production of photon number states in a microwave cavity. Another article discusses the application of a nitrogen-vacancy-based single-photon source to an experimental demonstration of quantum key distribution in open air. Photodetection performs a critical role in assessing single-photon sources as well as heralding the arrival of a single photon based on detecting a correlated partner, and this issue presents the latest results on single-photon counting with a superconducting niobium nitride hot-electron bolometer. Another article provides a detailed study of how to characterize single-photon sources via intensity noise analyses. Photodetection is also important for post-selection-based processing for non-deterministic quantum information tasks, and this issue presents an analysis of photodetection and post-selection used in another way: enhancing the efficiency of single-photon sources by interferometry, photodetection and post-selection. New Journal of Physics appreciates the rapid pace of development in the area of single photons on demand. This Focus Issue presents the latest developments and also points to a bright future with better photon sources. Focus on Single Photons on Demand Contents Photon statistics characterization of a single-photon source R Alleaume, F Treussart, J-M Courty and J-F Roch Photon statistics of a non-stationary periodically driven single-photon source M Hennrich, T Legero, A Kuhn and G Rempe On the measurement of two-photon single-mode coupling efficiency in parametric down-conversion photon sources S Castelletto, I P Degiovanni, A Migdall and M Ware Single-photon sources based on single molecules in solids W E Moerner Single-photon generation with InAs quantum dots Charles Santori, David Fattal, Jelena Vuckovic, Glenn S Solomon and Yoshihisa Yamamoto Visible single-photon generation from semiconductor quantum dots Thomas Aichele, Valery Zwiller and Oliver Benson Enhanced correlated photon pair emission from a pillar microcavity M Benyoucef, S M Ulrich, P Michler, J Wiersig, F Jahnke and A Forchel Experimental open-air quantum key distribution with a single-photon source R Alleaume, F Treussart, G Messin, Y Dumeige, J-F Roch, A Beveratos, R Brouri-Tualle, J-P Poizat and P Grangier Post-processing with linear optics for improving the quality of single-photon sources Dominic W Berry, Stefan Scheel, Casey R Myers, Barry C Sanders, Peter L Knight and Raymond Laflamme A single-photon source based on a single Ca+ ion Christian Maurer, Christoph Becher, Carlos Russo, Jurgen Eschner and Rainer Blatt A calcium ion in a cavity as a controlled single-photon source M Keller, B Lange, K Hayasaka, W Lange and H Walther Quantum optics with single quantum dot devices Valery Zwiller, Thomas Aichele and Oliver Benson The creation and detection of arbitrary photon number states using cavity QED Benjamin T H Varcoe, Simon Brattke and Herbert Walther Stable single-photon source in the near infrared T Gaebel, I Popa, A Gruber, M Domhan, F Jelezko and J Wrachtrup Colloidal CdSe/ZnS quantum dots as single-photon sources X Brokmann, G Messin, P Desbiolles, E Giacobino, M Dahan and J P Hermier Towards a periodic deterministic source of arbitrary single-photon states Evan Jeffrey, Nicholas A Peters and Paul G Kwiat Fabrication of a superconducting niobium nitride hot electron bolometer for single-photon counting R Romestain, B Delaet, P Renaud-Goud, I Wang, C Jorel, J-C Villegier and J-Ph Poizat High-quality asynchronous heralded single-photon source at telecom wavelength Sylvain Fasel, Olivier Alibart, Sebastien Tanzilli, Pascal Baldi, Alexios Beveratos, Nicolas Gisin and Hugo Zbinden Philippe Grangier, Institut d'Optique Theorique et Appliquee, Orsay, France Barry Sanders, University of Calgary, Canada Jelena Vuckovic, Stanford University, CA, USA