Session U5: Non Linear Optics

10:30 AM–12:30 PM, Friday, June 17, 2011
Room: A705

Chair: Daniel Gauthier, Duke University

Abstract ID: BAPS.2011.DAMOP.U5.8

Abstract: U5.00008 : Bright Photon Pair Source with High Spectral and Spatial Purity

11:54 AM–12:06 PM

Preview Abstract

Authors:

  J. Schaake
    (University of Tennessee)

  R. Bennink
    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  P. Evans
    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  W. Grice
    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  T. Humble
    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

We report the design and experimental characterization of a down-conversion source that has been optimized for high spectral and spatial purity. Spectral purity is achieved through the choices of the pump properties and phase-matching characteristics. Spatial entanglement is minimized via a collinear configuration in non-critically phase-matched periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate. This geometry eliminates walk-off effects and maximizes the overlap of the pump, signal, and idler fields. With a properly focused pump, nearly all of the photons are emitted into a single spatial mode, thus yielding a single-mode emission rate of 123,000 pairs/s/mW. With its high brightness and spectral and spatial purity, this source is ideal for experiments requiring multiple pairs of identical photons, or for use as a heralded single-photon source. In addition to describing the methods for eliminating the spectral and spatial entanglement, we also show how the source can be configured to produce \emph{N}-photon polarization-entangled states.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2011.DAMOP.U5.8