Triggered emission of indistinguishable photons from an organic dye molecule

Year: 2021

Authors: Lombardi Pietro; Colautti Maja; Duquennoy Rocco; Murtaza Gh

Autors Affiliation: Natl Inst Opt CNR INO, Largo Enrico Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; European Lab Nonlinear Spect Lens, Via Nello Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis & Astron, Via G Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

Abstract: Single molecules in solid state matrices have been proposed as sources of single photon Fock states back 20 years ago. Their success in quantum optics and in many other research fields stems from the simple recipes used in the preparation of samples, with hundreds of nominally identical and isolated molecules. Main challenges as of today for their application in photonic quantum technologies are the optimization of light extraction and the on-demand emission of indistinguishable photons. We here present Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) experiments with photons emitted by a single molecule of dibenzoterrylene in an anthracene nanocrystal at 3 K, under continuous wave and also pulsed excitation. A detailed theoretical model is applied, which relies on independent measurements for most experimental parameters, hence allowing for an analysis of the different contributions to the two-photon interference visibility, from residual dephasing to spectral filtering. A HOM interference visibility of more than 75% is reported, which, according to the model, is limited by the residual dephasing present at the operating temperature.

Journal/Review: APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS

Volume: 118 (20)      Pages from: 204002-1  to: 204002-7

More Information: This project has received funding from the EraNET Cofund Initiatives QuantERA within the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program Grant Agreement No. 731473 (project ORQUID) and from the EMPIR programme (Project No. 17FUN06, SIQUST) co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
KeyWords: Two-photon interference
DOI: 10.1063/5.0048567