Frequency conversion of single photons at arbitrary wavelengths

Quanta of light—photons—form the basis of quantum key distribution in fashionable cryptographic networks. Right before the substantial probable of quantum technological know-how is totally recognized, however, many worries remain. A resolution to a single of these has now been located.

In a paper published in the journal Science, teams led by David Novoa, Nicolas Joly and Philip Russell report a breakthrough in frequency up-conversion of solitary photons, based mostly on a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) loaded with hydrogen gas. First a spatio-temporal hologram of molecular vibrations is created in the gas by stimulated Raman scattering. This hologram is then utilized for very effective, correlation-preserving frequency conversion of single photons. The program operates at a force-tuneable wavelength, earning it probably intriguing for quantum communications, exactly where economical resources of indistinguishable one-photons are unavailable at wavelengths appropriate with existing fiber networks.

The solution brings together quantum optics, gas-based nonlinear optics, hollow-main PCF, and the physics of molecular vibrations to kind an efficient instrument that can operate in any spectral band from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared—an extremely-broad performing selection inaccessible to existing technologies. The results may perhaps be made use of to acquire fiber-based resources in technologies such as quantum communications, and quantum-increased imaging.