Telecom C-Band Photon-Pair Generation using Standard SMF-28 Fiber

Abstract: Photon-pair generation must satisfy both the energy conservation and phase-matching conditions with a specific pump wavelength and dispersion of nonlinear optical medium, but finding a photon-pair, which has a desired specific wavelength, generation medium is challenging. Here, we present a method to create photon pairs that functions efficiently even the pump wavelength is much larger than the zero GVD wavelength of medium. In this study, we employ short SMF-28 fibers having ~1310 nm zero GVD wavelength and C-band pump (1552.52 nm) to generate C-band photon pairs. The measured pair generation rate and coincidence-to-accidental ratios are comparable to those from a long dispersion-shifted fiber. Polarization-entangled states are prepared, and an S value of 2.659 +- 0.094 is achieved from Bell inequality measurements. Our results indicate that the use of a short SFWM medium yields adequate photon-pair generation rates regardless of its dispersion properties in almost any material at any pump wavelength.