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Polarization-Controlled Single Photons

2007; American Physical Society; Volume: 98; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physrevlett.98.063601

1092-0145

Tatjana Wilk, S. C. Webster, Holger Specht, Gerhard Rempe, Axel Kuhn,

Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Vacuum-stimulated Raman transitions are driven between two magnetic substates of a 87Rb atom strongly coupled to an optical cavity. A magnetic field lifts the degeneracy of these states, and the atom is alternately exposed to laser pulses of two different frequencies. This produces a stream of single photons with alternating circular polarization in a predetermined spatiotemporal mode. MHz repetition rates are possible as no recycling of the atom between photon generations is required. Photon indistinguishability is tested by time-resolved two-photon interference.