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Optical Technologies for Telecommunications (OTT)

Bright photonic crystal fiber source of photon pairs in visible-telecom band

A. F. Khairullin, Maksim A. Smirnov, Ilya V. Fedotov, A. M. Smirnova, Sergey A. Moiseev

Published Oct 4, 2023• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An actual task of quantum communications over long distances is the creation of a bright source of photon pairs operating at standard wavelengths of fiber optic communication lines. In this work, we experimentally investigated the spectral and correlation characteristics of photon pairs generated on the phenomenon of spontaneous four-wave mixing in a highly nonlinear photonic-crystal fiber with a wavelength of one of the photons near 1.5 μm. The demonstrated source can be used as an efficient single photon generator at a telecommunications wavelength with prediction and tuning over a wide spectral range.

DOI
10.1117/12.2682159

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Observation of photon-pair generation in the normal group-velocity-dispersion regime with slight detuning from the pump wavelength

Kyungdeuk Park, Dongjin Lee, Yong Sup Ihn +2 more

A fiber-based photon-pair source in the telecom C-band is suitable for quantum information science including quantum communications.Spontaneous four-wave mixing effects are known to create photon pairs that are slightly detuned from the pump wavelength only in the anomalous groupvelocity-dispersion (GVD) regime.Here, we achieve high-quality photon-pair generation slightly detuned from the pump wavelength in the normal GVD regime through a dispersion shifted fiber, for the first time.The photon pairs in C-band exhibit strong temporal correlation with each other and excellent heralded anti-bunching property.This photon-pair generation scheme can be exploited as telecom-band quantum light sources for quantum information applications.A non-classical light source is one of the key elements of quantum information processing systems, and several types of these sources have been investigated, including molecules [1], trapped atoms [2], quantum dots [3], diamond vacancy centers [4], spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) [5], and spontaneous fourwave mixing (SFWM) [6]. Among these processes, the SPDC and the SFWM processes create quantumcorrelated photon pairs from one and two pump photons, respectively, and both processes require satisfying the energy conservation as well as phase matching [7].Typically, the nonlinear coefficient of SPDC in second-order nonlinear crystals is larger than that of SFWM in amorphous single mode optical fibers as SFWM is a third-order nonlinear process.In the case of several hundred meters long single-mode fibers, however, the SFWM conversion efficiency from pump beam to photon pairs can be similar with that of the SPDC process in nonlinear crystals.In addition, the fiber based photon-pair sources are able to be directly coupled to fiber systems with negligible coupling loss, but waveguide-to-fiber coupling efficiency of a periodically poled SPDC crystal is reported about 50% [8].The SFWM process has been studied intensively for the fiber-based photon generation [6, 9-20] for quantum information applications including quantum key distribution.Photon-pair generation via SFWM is active near the zero group-velocity-dispersion (GVD) wavelength, λ ZGVD , in the anomalous GVD regime [6, 9-15] or normal GVD regime [16][17][18][19][20].In the normal GVD regime, the wavelength of the generated photon pairs is significantly detuned from the pump wavelength.In this case, Raman noise can be avoided, but the generated photon pair do not exhibit telecom-band wavelength together.On the other hand, in the anomalous GVD regime, the wavelength of the generated photon pair is slightly detuned from the pump in the telecom C-band and is strongly power dependent [16].Since the wavelength of the generated pair is sensitive to the λ ZGVD of the generation medium, several types of commercial fibers which have λ ZGVD in the telecom C-band have been investigated as the telecom C-band pair sources.Even if commercial optical fibers have small tolerances in their physical properties, it is common to have sizeable λ ZGVD variance along an optical fiber [21,22].Therefore, the precise measurement of the GVD spectrum is required, but it is often tricky with short length optical fibers.One way to overcome this problem is engineering the dispersion of a commercial fiber by heating and pulling the fiber, but this method is an ambitious research field [19,20,23].On the other hand, if a slightly detuned pair can be generated in the normal GVD regime, the constraint for the λ ZGVD of medium can be weakened, but it has not been reported to the best of our knowledge because phases are mis-matched in this regime due to the Kerr effects of the media.

New Journal of Physics•Sep 14, 2018•15 citations
An actual task of quantum communications over long distances is the creation of a bright source of photon pairs operating at standard wavelengths of fiber optic communication lines. In this work, we experimentally investigated the spectral and correlation characteristics of photon pairs generated on the phenomenon of spontaneous four-wave mixing in a highly nonlinear photonic-crystal fiber with a wavelength of one of the photons near 1.5 μm. The demonstrated source can be used as an efficient single photon generator at a telecommunications wavelength with prediction and tuning over a wide spectral range.
Single photon sources are a key element for quantum computing, quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum communications. In particular, producing single photons at telecommunications wavelengths is valuable for QKD protocols and would enable realizing the quantum internet. The preferred method for their generation has long been spontaneous down conversion in bulk crystals, which suffers from connection loss to fiber networks. In-fiber spontaneous four-wave mixing provides a viable alternative as a photon pair source due to being compatible with existing fiber networks. We present an all-fiber photon pair source based on degenerate four-wave mixing in a 400 m Highly-Nonlinear fiber, with signal and idler wavelengths generated at 1552.5 nm and 1557 nm respectively. The source consists of CW pump laser operating at 1554.75 nm, which is slightly detuned from the zero group velocity dispersion wavelength into the normal dispersion regime. After pair generation in the highly-nonlinear fiber, three arrayed waveguide gratings are employed to spatially separate signal and idler, and provides a 120 dB pump power reduction. Firstly the source is modelled and experimentally characterized in the well known classical regime of stimulated four-wave mixing. The effect of fiber cooling on spontaneous Raman scattering is modelled and characterized, and a 30% reduction in spontaneous emission is found when cooling the fiber to -77°C. In the low power regime the coincidence to accidental count ratio is simulated and measured. An increase in the coincidence to accidental count ratio is observed when cooling the fiber.
Quantum-correlated photon pairs with tunable wavelength are highly desirable in a number of quantum technologies. In this letter, we demonstrate a wavelength tunable source of the correlated photon pairs based on pulse-pumped spontaneous four-wave mixing in photonic-crystal fiber. The wavelengths of the correlated signal and idler photons can be continuously tuned at room temperature by adjusting the wavelength of pump originating from an ytterbium-doped fiber laser. The tuning range of the idler photons is 757-880 nm and the range of the signal photons is 1310-1610 nm, which covers the 1310- and 1550-nm telecom bands.
We report on the experimental characterization of a novel nonlinear liquid-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber for the generation of photon pairs at a telecommunication wavelength through spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM). We show that the optimization procedure in view of this application links the choice of the nonlinear liquid to the design parameters of the fiber, and we give an example of such an optimization at telecom wavelengths. Combining the modeling of the fiber and classical characterization techniques at these wavelengths, we identify for the chosen fiber and liquid combination SFWM phase-matching frequency ranges with no Raman scattering noise contamination. This is a first step toward obtaining a telecom band fibered photon-pair source with a high signal-to-noise ratio.
We demonstrate a source of photon pairs with widely separated wavelengths, 810 and 1548 nm, generated through spontaneous four-wave mixing in a microstructured fiber. The second-order autocorrelation function g((2))(0) was measured to confirm the nonclassical nature of a heralded single-photon source constructed from the fiber. The microstructured fiber presented herein has the interesting property of generating photon pairs with wavelengths suitable for a quantum repeater able to link free-space channels with fiber channels, as well as for a high-quality telecommunication wavelength heralded single photon source. It also has the advantage of potentially low-loss coupling into standard optical fiber. These reasons make this photon pair source particularly interesting for long-distance quantum communication.
A fiber-based photon-pair source in the telecom C-band is suitable for quantum information science including quantum communications.Spontaneous four-wave mixing effects are known to create photon pairs that are slightly detuned from the pump wavelength only in the anomalous groupvelocity-dispersion (GVD) regime.Here, we achieve high-quality photon-pair generation slightly detuned from the pump wavelength in the normal GVD regime through a dispersion shifted fiber, for the first time.The photon pairs in C-band exhibit strong temporal correlation with each other and excellent heralded anti-bunching property.This photon-pair generation scheme can be exploited as telecom-band quantum light sources for quantum information applications.A non-classical light source is one of the key elements of quantum information processing systems, and several types of these sources have been investigated, including molecules [1], trapped atoms [2], quantum dots [3], diamond vacancy centers [4], spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) [5], and spontaneous fourwave mixing (SFWM) [6]. Among these processes, the SPDC and the SFWM processes create quantumcorrelated photon pairs from one and two pump photons, respectively, and both processes require satisfying the energy conservation as well as phase matching [7].Typically, the nonlinear coefficient of SPDC in second-order nonlinear crystals is larger than that of SFWM in amorphous single mode optical fibers as SFWM is a third-order nonlinear process.In the case of several hundred meters long single-mode fibers, however, the SFWM conversion efficiency from pump beam to photon pairs can be similar with that of the SPDC process in nonlinear crystals.In addition, the fiber based photon-pair sources are able to be directly coupled to fiber systems with negligible coupling loss, but waveguide-to-fiber coupling efficiency of a periodically poled SPDC crystal is reported about 50% [8].The SFWM process has been studied intensively for the fiber-based photon generation [6, 9-20] for quantum information applications including quantum key distribution.Photon-pair generation via SFWM is active near the zero group-velocity-dispersion (GVD) wavelength, λ ZGVD , in the anomalous GVD regime [6, 9-15] or normal GVD regime [16][17][18][19][20].In the normal GVD regime, the wavelength of the generated photon pairs is significantly detuned from the pump wavelength.In this case, Raman noise can be avoided, but the generated photon pair do not exhibit telecom-band wavelength together.On the other hand, in the anomalous GVD regime, the wavelength of the generated photon pair is slightly detuned from the pump in the telecom C-band and is strongly power dependent [16].Since the wavelength of the generated pair is sensitive to the λ ZGVD of the generation medium, several types of commercial fibers which have λ ZGVD in the telecom C-band have been investigated as the telecom C-band pair sources.Even if commercial optical fibers have small tolerances in their physical properties, it is common to have sizeable λ ZGVD variance along an optical fiber [21,22].Therefore, the precise measurement of the GVD spectrum is required, but it is often tricky with short length optical fibers.One way to overcome this problem is engineering the dispersion of a commercial fiber by heating and pulling the fiber, but this method is an ambitious research field [19,20,23].On the other hand, if a slightly detuned pair can be generated in the normal GVD regime, the constraint for the λ ZGVD of medium can be weakened, but it has not been reported to the best of our knowledge because phases are mis-matched in this regime due to the Kerr effects of the media.