Single photon source

US9100131B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• John M. J. Madey · Palo Alto, US
• Eric Szarmes · Honolulu, US
• Pui Kwong Lam · Honolulu, US
• Shahab Etemad · Hackettstown, US
• Nicholas Peters · Chicago, US
• Zhensheng Jia · Superior, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 10, 2010
• Grant date: Aug 4, 2015
• Expiry date: Nov 13, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B10/70
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A photon source capable of emitting, for example, a single photon or a single pair of photons on demand. The photon source may include an excitation region where a single instance of a quantum system is excited using excitation energy. A Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage (STIRAP) technique can be used for exciting the quantum system to a desired energy level. The photon source may include a photon emission region physically displaced from the excitation region. A transport device can be used for controllably moving an excited quantum system from the excitation region to the photon emission region. The photon emission region may include a resonant cavity tuned to the de-excitation frequency of the quantum system for inducing de-excitation of the quantum system and emission of a photon. The photon emission resonant cavity may be switchably coupled to an output port by a tunable resonant cavity coupling device.