TY - JOUR

T1 - Coherence Properties of Molecular Single Photons for Quantum Networks

AU - Rezai, Mohammad

AU - Wrachtrup, Jörg

AU - Gerhardt, Ilja

N1 - Funding information: We thank J. Sperling, W. Schleich, E. Waks, and A. Schell for fruitful discussions. A. Hübner, a stonemason, is acknowledged for the support in preparing the granite table. We further acknowledge the funding from the DFG (Project No. GE 2737/5-1), the MPG, the Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB-Project No. 716), the BMBF, the EU-Project SMeL and the VolkswagenStiftung. We thank J. Sperling, W. Schleich, E. Waks, and A. Schell for fruitful discussions. A. Habner, a stonemason, is acknowledged for the support in preparing the granite table. We further acknowledge the funding from the DFG (Project No.GE 2737/5-1), the MPG, the Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB-Project No.716), the BMBF, the EU-Project SMeL and the VolkswagenStiftung.

PY - 2018/7/26

Y1 - 2018/7/26

N2 - Quantum mechanics implies that a single photon can be in the superposition of two distant spatial modes and enable nonlocal interferences. The most vivid example is the two-photon coalescence on a 50∶50 beam splitter, known as Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. In the past decade, this experiment has been used to characterize the suitability of different single-photon sources for linear optical quantum gates. This characterization alone cannot guarantee the suitability of the photons in a scalable quantum network. As for a deeper insight, we perform a number of nonclassical interference measurements of single photons emitted by a single organic molecule that are optimized by an atomic Faraday filter. Our measurements reveal near unity visibility of the quantum interference, and a one-port correlation measurement proves the ideal Fourier limited nature of our single-photon source. A delayed choice quantum eraser allows us to observe a constructive interference between the photons, and a Hong-Ou-Mandel peak is formed additionally to the commonly observed dip. These experiments comprehensively characterize the involved photons for their use in a future quantum Internet, and they attest to the fully efficient interaction of the molecular photons with a next subsequent quantum node. They can be adapted to other emitters and will allow us to gain insights to their applicability for quantum information processing. We introduce a quality number that describes the photon’s properties for their use in a quantum network; this states that effectively 97 atomic systems, and all-optical quantum information processing.

AB - Quantum mechanics implies that a single photon can be in the superposition of two distant spatial modes and enable nonlocal interferences. The most vivid example is the two-photon coalescence on a 50∶50 beam splitter, known as Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. In the past decade, this experiment has been used to characterize the suitability of different single-photon sources for linear optical quantum gates. This characterization alone cannot guarantee the suitability of the photons in a scalable quantum network. As for a deeper insight, we perform a number of nonclassical interference measurements of single photons emitted by a single organic molecule that are optimized by an atomic Faraday filter. Our measurements reveal near unity visibility of the quantum interference, and a one-port correlation measurement proves the ideal Fourier limited nature of our single-photon source. A delayed choice quantum eraser allows us to observe a constructive interference between the photons, and a Hong-Ou-Mandel peak is formed additionally to the commonly observed dip. These experiments comprehensively characterize the involved photons for their use in a future quantum Internet, and they attest to the fully efficient interaction of the molecular photons with a next subsequent quantum node. They can be adapted to other emitters and will allow us to gain insights to their applicability for quantum information processing. We introduce a quality number that describes the photon’s properties for their use in a quantum network; this states that effectively 97 atomic systems, and all-optical quantum information processing.

KW - Quantum Hybrid Systems

KW - Atomic Vapors

KW - Sodium

KW - Hong-Ou-Mandel

KW - Quantum Interference

KW - Single Molecules

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051074326&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031026

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031026

M3 - Article

VL - 8

JO - Phys. Rev. X

JF - Phys. Rev. X

IS - 3

M1 - 031026

ER -