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Updated: May 12, 2026
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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
Highly efficient heralding of entangled single photons
Sven Ramelow1, Alexandra Mech, Marissa Giustina
1Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Boltzmanngasse 3, Vienna, Austria.
Optics Express
|April 3, 2013
Summary
We developed a heralded single-photon source with 83% efficiency, confirming its quantum properties. This breakthrough is crucial for advancing quantum communication technologies like quantum key distribution.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Optics
- Quantum Information Science
Background:
- Single photons are fundamental for quantum optical applications.
- High-quality heralded single-photon sources are essential for quantum technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally demonstrate a heralded single-photon source.
- To confirm the single-photon character and entanglement quality.
Main Methods:
- Spontaneous parametric down-conversion in collinear bulk optics.
- Fiber-coupled bolometric transition-edge sensors.
- Bell inequality violation for characterization.
Main Results:
- An overall heralding efficiency of 83% was achieved.
- Violation of a Bell inequality confirmed single-photon character and entanglement.
- High heralding efficiency demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated source is a key component for advanced quantum communication.
- Enables protocols like one-sided device-independent quantum key distribution.
