Quantum frequency downconversion experiment

We report the first quantum frequency downconversion experiment. Using the difference frequency generation process in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide, we successfully observed the phase-preserved frequency downconversion of a coherent pulse train with an average photon number per pulse of $<$1, from the 0.7-$\mu$m visible wavelength band to the 1.3-$\mu$m telecom band. We expect this technology to become an important tool for flexible photonic quantum networking, including the realization of quantum repeater systems over optical fiber using atom-photon entanglement sources for the visible wavelength bands.