All-fibre multiplexed source of high-purity heralded single photons

Abstract: Single photon sources based on spontaneous photon-pair generation have enabled pioneering experiments in quantum optics. However, their non-determinism presents a bottleneck to scaling up photonic and hybrid quantum-enhanced technologies. Furthermore, photon pairs are typically emitted into many correlated frequency modes, producing an undesirable mixed state on heralding. Here we present a complete fibre-integrated heralded single photon source that addresses both these difficulties simultaneously. We use active switching to provide a path to deterministic operation by multiplexing separate spontaneous sources, and dispersion engineering to minimise frequency correlation for high-purity single photon generation. All the essential elements -- nonlinear material with dispersion control, wavelength isolation, optical delay, and fast switching -- are incorporated in a low-loss alignment-free package that heralds photons in telecoms single-mode fibre. Our results demonstrate a scalable approach to delivering pure single photons directly into guided-wave photonic devices.