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Updated: Nov 16, 2025

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
Hong-Ou-Mandel Interference with Imperfect Single Photon Sources
H Ollivier1, S E Thomas1, S C Wein2
1Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnology, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 9001, 10 Boulevard Thomas Gobert, 91120 Palaiseau, France.
Abstract:
Hong-Ou-Mandel interference is a cornerstone of optical quantum technologies. We explore both theoretically and experimentally how unwanted multiphoton components of single-photon sources affect the interference visibility, and find that the overlap between the single photons and the noise photons significantly impacts the interference. We apply our approach to quantum dot single-photon sources to access the mean wave packet overlap of the single-photon component. This study provides a consistent platform with which to diagnose the limitations of current single-photon sources on the route towards the ideal device.
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