Design considerations for an intense source of entangled photons

Gregory A. Konesky

doi:10.1117/12.453765

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9 December 2002 Design considerations for an intense source of entangled photons

Gregory A. Konesky

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Proceedings Volume 4821, Free-Space Laser Communication and Laser Imaging II; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.453765
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2002, Seattle, WA, United States

Abstract

Parametric down conversion permits the generation of entangled photon pairs. However, the production rate is unfortunately very low, typically with nine to ten orders of magnitude between input and output power. A combination of approaches is considered to significantly enhance the overall prodcuiton rate. The use of large crystals simply improves the production rate by increasing the interaction length, as does the use of beam-folding optics. Since the produced entangled photon pairs have twice the wavelength of the pump beam, the use of 'hot' and 'cold' mirrors can be used to redirect unused pump power back into the crystal. Analysis of these approaches is used to indicate a potential improvement of six orders of magnitude. Practical design limitations such as the rejection of waste heat, currently available crystal dimensions, and differential walkoff of correlated photons due to birefringence are considered. Application to type I and type II parametric down conversion and walkoff compensation techniques are detailed. Application to an entangled optical communication link and its use over astronomical distances are outlined.

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Gregory A. Konesky "Design considerations for an intense source of entangled photons", Proc. SPIE 4821, Free-Space Laser Communication and Laser Imaging II, (9 December 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.453765

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