On-Demand Generation of Indistinguishable Photons in the Telecom C-Band using Quantum Dot Devices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the on-demand generation of highly pure, indistinguishable single photons in the telecom C-band using quantum dot devices, advancing quantum communication technologies over fiber networks.

Contribution

It presents a novel method for generating indistinguishable photons directly in the telecom C-band with high purity and fidelity from integrated quantum dot devices.

Findings

Achieved high single-photon purity with g^{(2)}(0) close to zero.

Demonstrated photon indistinguishability up to 35%.

Reported preparation fidelities exceeding 80% at π-pulse.

Abstract

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) enable the generation of single and entangled photons, useful for various applications in photonic quantum technologies. Specifically for quantum communication via fiber-optical networks, operation in the telecom C-band centered around 1550$\,$nm is ideal. The direct generation of QD-photons in this spectral range and with high quantum-optical quality, however, remained challenging. Here, we demonstrate the coherent on-demand generation of indistinguishable photons in the telecom C-band from single QD devices consisting of InAs/InP QD-mesa structures heterogeneously integrated with a metallic reflector on a silicon wafer. Using pulsed two-photon resonant excitation of the biexciton-exciton radiative cascade, we observe Rabi rotations up to pulse areas of $4\pi$ and a high single-photon purity in terms of $g^{(2)}(0)=0.005(1)$ and $0.015(1)$ for exciton and biexciton photons, respectively. Applying two independent experimental methods, based on fitting Rabi rotations in the emission intensity and performing photon cross-correlation measurements, we consistently obtain preparation fidelities at the $\pi$-pulse exceeding 80$\%$. Finally, performing Hong-Ou-Mandel-type two-photon interference experiments we obtain a photon-indistinguishability of the full photon wave packet of up to $35(3)\%$, representing a significant advancement in the photon-indistinguishability of single photons emitted directly in the telecom C-band.