Single-Photon Generation: Materials, Techniques, and the Rydberg Exciton Frontier

TL;DR

This review discusses various material systems for single-photon sources, compares their performance, and introduces a novel Rydberg exciton-based source with promising qualities for quantum photonics.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison of existing single-photon sources and introduces a new Rydberg exciton-based approach for quantum photonic applications.

Findings

Different material systems exhibit varying purity and indistinguishability.

The Rydberg exciton source shows promising qualities for quantum chip fabrication.

Performance metrics vary significantly across different single-photon sources.

Abstract

Due to their quantum nature, single-photon emitters generate individual photons in bursts or streams. They are paramount in emerging quantum technologies such as quantum key distribution, quantum repeaters, and measurement-based quantum computing. Many such systems have been reported in the last three decades, from Rubidium atoms coupled to cavities to semiconductor quantum dots and color centers implanted in waveguides. This review article highlights different material systems with deterministic and controlled single photon generation. We discuss and compare the performance metrics, such as purity and indistinguishability, for these sources and evaluate their potential for different applications. Finally, a new potential single-photon source, based on the Rydberg exciton in solid state metal oxide thin films, is introduced, briefly discussing its promising qualities and advantages in fabricating quantum chips for quantum photonic applications.