Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources
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 mu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2015-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/4/043057 |
| _version_ | 1797751218226855936 |
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| author | Damien Bonneau Gabriel J Mendoza Jeremy L O’Brien Mark G Thompson |
| author_facet | Damien Bonneau Gabriel J Mendoza Jeremy L O’Brien Mark G Thompson |
| author_sort | Damien Bonneau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 $\sim 0.2-0.4$ 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:45:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37ca150bb2cf478492ba52165497e615 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:45:22Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-37ca150bb2cf478492ba52165497e6152023-08-08T14:15:57ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302015-01-0117404305710.1088/1367-2630/17/4/043057Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sourcesDamien Bonneau0Gabriel J Mendoza1Jeremy L O’Brien2Mark G Thompson3Centre for Quantum Photonics, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory & Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol , Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UB, UKCentre for Quantum Photonics, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory & Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol , Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UB, UKCentre for Quantum Photonics, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory & Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol , Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UB, UKCentre for Quantum Photonics, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory & Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol , Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UB, UKAn 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 $\sim 0.2-0.4$ 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.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/4/043057photonquantummultiplexedlossopticsphotonics |
| spellingShingle | Damien Bonneau Gabriel J Mendoza Jeremy L O’Brien Mark G Thompson Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources New Journal of Physics photon quantum multiplexed loss optics photonics |
| title | Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources |
| title_full | Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources |
| title_fullStr | Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources |
| title_short | Effect of loss on multiplexed single-photon sources |
| title_sort | effect of loss on multiplexed single photon sources |
| topic | photon quantum multiplexed loss optics photonics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/4/043057 |
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