A pump enhanced source of telecom-band correlated photon pairs

• Published in: Journal of modern optics Vol. 58; no. 8; pp. 631 - 639
• Main Authors: Thomas, P.J., Dunn, M.H., Stothard, D.J.M., Walsh, D.A., Chunnilall, C.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 10-05-2011; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Atoms & subatomic particles; correlated photons; Correlation; Crystals; Fiber optic measurement; Fiber optics; Holes; Hong-Ou-Mandel; Information processing; Optical data processing; Optical fibers; parametric downconversion; Photons; pump enhanced; Pumps; Quantum theory; telecom; Telecommunications
• ISSN: 0950-0340; 1362-3044
• DOI: 10.1080/09500340.2011.561421

Correlated photon pairs generated through spontaneous parametric downconversion have become a key resource for research into enhanced optical measurement and quantum optical information processing. A pump-enhanced χ
(2)
source of correlated photons in the telecom band is presented. An investigation of the pair photon coincidence detection rate measured from the source, together with the evaluation of system losses, indicated a single spatial fibre-optic mode pair production rate of 6.12 × 10
4
 s
−1
 mW
−1
pump power, an order of magnitude greater than was measured without enhancement. A Hong-Ou-Mandel interference experiment confirmed that the enhancement did not have any adverse effect on the spatial and frequency indistinguishability of the emitted pairs. The source comprises a symmetric and linear enhancement cavity for the pump, making it particularly suitable for generating polarisation entangled photon pairs without the need for compensating crystals
1
.