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Abstract:

We demonstrate an improved method for fabricating optical waveguides in bulk materials by means of femtosecond laser writing. We use an LC spatial light modulator (SLM) to shape the beam focus by generating adaptive slit illumination in the pupil of the objective lens. A diffraction grating is applied in a strip across the SLM to simulate a slit, with the first diffracted order mapped onto the pupil plane of the objective lens while the zeroth order is blocked. This technique enables real-time control of the beam-shaping parameters during writing, facilitating the fabrication of more complicated structures than is possible using nonadaptive methods. Waveguides are demonstrated in fused silica with a coupling loss to single-mode fibers in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 dB and propagation loss <0.4 dB/cm.

Abstract:

Sources of single photons in pure quantum states are essential to many quantum optics applications. We explore a technique, known as group-velocity matching, that enables the heralded generation of pure single photons through nonlinear optical processes. It reduces or eliminates the requirement of spectral filtering that conventional sources rely on to achieve high purity, therefore increasing both heralding efficiency and photon flux. Implementation in both spontaneous parametric downconversion and spontaneous four-wave mixing is studied as we discuss several recent experimental realizations demonstrating purity of more than 0.84 for the heralded photons. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.