High-performance single-photon sources in optical fibre

Technologies that use individual photons to process information have the potential to revolutionise computation by harnessing the power of quantum mechanics. The single photons required can be generated in pairs using frequency conversion techniques driven by high-power pulsed lasers. This project will aim to develop single photon sources utilising the unique capabilities of bespoke optical fibre that you will fabricate. Known as photonic crystal fibre, it guides light within a matrix of air holes that run along the length of the fibre, and the properties of the fibre can be engineered by controlling its structure. Combined with active switching, this fibre enables the production of very high-quality single photons for use in next-generation quantum technologies.

The aim of this PhD project is to develop high-performance single-photon sources based on four-wave mixing (FWM) in bespoke optical fibre. The studentship will have three specific goals:

1. Incorporate advanced microstructured fibre into existing actively-switched photonic routers to increase count rates and reduce noise in multiplexed single-photon sources;

2. Develop narrowband FWM sources in microstructured fibre;

3. Design and build highly nondegenerate FWM sources with the potential to act as entanglement swapping telecoms-wavelength photonic interconnects between communication nodes.