The single photon source, developed by Australian physicists, can produce more than 10 million.
Hexagonal boron nitride and previously usedto create a source of single photons that can operate at room temperature, the researchers note. However, so far no one has been able to achieve the efficiency required for the practical application of the device.
“As a rule, to improve sources based onBoron nitride uses precise positioning of the emitter or nanotechnology, says Helen Zeng, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney and co-author of the work. “This makes devices complex, difficult to scale, and out of reach for mass production.”
Instead, Zeng and her colleagues used a hard immersion lens to focus the photons coming from a single-photon emitter. These lenses are commercially available and easy to manufacture.
Researchers have combined their new sourcesingle photons with a custom handheld confocal microscope that measures single photons at room temperature. The developed system can perform encryption based on quantum distributed keys.
Single photon source and confocalThe microscope is housed in a durable case measuring only 50 x 50 cm. The weight of the device is about 10 kg. The device housing protects the source from vibrations and scattered light.
Image: Helen Zeng, University of Technology Sydney
“Our device is easier to use and much moresmaller than traditional optical tables that take up entire labs,” says Zeng. “It can be used with quantum computing systems and adapted to work with existing telecommunications infrastructure.”
Testing of a new source of single photons, according toAccording to the developers, they showed that it can achieve single photon collection rates of 10.7 Hz while maintaining excellent purity. This means that the probability of transmitting several photons in one pulse is extremely small. The device showed stable operation for several hours.
Scientists have also demonstrated the abilitydevices to perform quantum encryption. Information protected by quantum key distribution with a repetition rate of 20 MHz has been successfully transmitted over a distance of several kilometers from the source.
Quantum key distribution isinformation security method resistant to hacking. The quantum properties of light are used to encrypt and decrypt data. To construct such systems, reliable and bright sources emitting light in the form of a chain of single photons are required. Most modern single-photon sources work well only at cryogenic temperatures hundreds of degrees below zero, which limits the practical application of such devices.
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