Recent Progress in Short and Mid-Infrared Single-Photon Generation: A Review

The generation of single photons in the mid-infrared spectral region is attracting the interest of scientific and technological research, motivated by the potential improvements that many important and emerging applications, such as quantum sensing, metrology and communication, could benefit from. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOptics Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 13 - 38
Main Authors Elefante, Arianna, Dello Russo, Stefano, Sgobba, Fabrizio, Santamaria Amato, Luigi, Pallotti, Deborah Katia, Dequal, Daniele, Siciliani de Cumis, Mario
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Siegen MDPI AG 01.03.2023
Subjects
Communication
Cryptography
Energy
four wave mixing
Lasers
mid-infrared
Optics
photon-pair generation
quantum applications
Sensors
single photon generation
spontaneous parametric downconversion
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Summary:The generation of single photons in the mid-infrared spectral region is attracting the interest of scientific and technological research, motivated by the potential improvements that many important and emerging applications, such as quantum sensing, metrology and communication, could benefit from. This review reports the progress in short and mid-infrared single photon generation, focusing on probabilistic sources based on the two non-linear processes of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) and four wave mixing (FWM). On one hand, numerical simulations of mid-infrared SPDC are described as a powerful tool to assist and guide the experimental realization, along with the implementation and engineering of novel non-linear materials. On the other hand, the advantages offered by FWM in silicon waveguides in terms of integration, miniaturization and manufacturability are presented, providing an optimal technology for integrated quantum applications.
ISSN:2673-3269
2673-3269
DOI:10.3390/opt4010003