We propose a method for producing on-demand single-photon states based on collision-induced exchanges of photons and unbalanced linear absorption between two single-mode light fields. These two effects result in an effective nonlinear absorption of photons in one of the modes, which can lead to single photon states. A quantum nonlinear attenuator based on such a mechanism can absorb photons in a normal input light pulse and terminate the absorption at a single-photon state. Because the output light pulses containing single photons preserve the properties of the input pulses, we expect this method to be a means for building a highly controllable single photon source.
@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0405131,
title = {On-demand single-photon state generation via nonlinear absorption},
author = {Tao Hong and Michael W. Jack and Makoto Yamashita},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0405131},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in PRA. To be published in PRA