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Abstract
Sources of single photons in pure quantum states are essential to many quantum optics applications. We explore a technique, known as group-velocity matching, that enables the heralded generation of pure single photons through nonlinear optical processes. It reduces or eliminates the requirement of spectral filtering that conventional sources rely on to achieve high purity, therefore increasing both heralding efficiency and photon flux. Implementation in both spontaneous parametric downconversion and spontaneous four-wave mixing is studied as we discuss several recent experimental realizations demonstrating purity of more than 0.84 for the heralded photons.
Acknowledgements
The work was funded in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the UK (EPSRC, project EP/H03031X/1), US European Office of Aerospace Research & Development (EOARD, project 093020), the European Commission (under Integrated Project Quantum Interfaces, Sensors, and Communication based on Entanglement (QESSENCE)). C.S. and B.J.S acknowledge support from John Fell Fund, University of Oxford. I.A.W. acknowledges support from the Royal Society.