Single photon detection of degenerate photon pairs at 1.55 m from a periodically poled lithium niobate parametric downconverter

Authors: Marius A. Albota¹; Eric Dauler¹

Source: Journal of Modern Optics, Volume 51, Numbers 9-10, 15 June-10 July 2004 , pp. 1417-1432(16)

Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd

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Abstract:

The performance of a communication system that uses 1.55 µm correlated photon pairs is analysed experimentally in terms of achievable coincidence rates, optimal pump rates, and the performance of custom-built photon-counting detectors at 1.55 µm. The testbed considered in this study uses standard telecom fibre, twin photons, and photon-counting detectors. Degenerate cw time-frequency entangled photon pairs are produced via quasi-phase-matched spontaneous parametric downconversion in bulk periodically poled lithium niobate. The photon pairs are efficiently collected into a single-mode fibre and are sent to a pair of custom-built InGaAs photon-counting avalanche photodiodes that are passively quenched, gated in Geiger mode, and thermoelectrically cooled to temperatures as low as -60°C. Reliable photon-counting operation with a quantum efficiency of 20% at a dark count probability of 0.04% per gate (20 ns) and negligible afterpulses is reported.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/09500340410001670820

Affiliations: 1: Lincoln Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lexington MA 02420 USA, Email: albota@LL.mit.edu

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