Efficient generation of single and entangled photons on a silicon photonic integrated chip

摘要

We present a protocol for generating on-demand, indistinguishable singlephotons on a silicon photonic integrated chip. The source is a time-multiplexedspontaneous parametric down-conversion element that allows optimization ofsingle-photon versus multiphoton emission while realizing high output rate andindistinguishability. We minimize both the scaling of active elements and thescaling of active element loss with multiplexing. We then discuss detectionstrategies and data processing to further optimize the procedure. We simulatean improvement in single-photon-generation efficiency over previoustime-multiplexing protocols, assuming existing fabrication capabilities. Wethen apply this system to generate heralded Bell states. The generationefficiency of both nonclassical states could be increased substantially withimproved fabrication procedures.