We report an experimental demonstration of a bright highfidelity single-mode-optical-fiber source of polarization-entangled photon pairs. The source takes advantage of single-mode fiber optics, highly nonlinear microstructure fiber, judicious phase-matching, and the inherent stability provided by a Sagnac interferometer. With a modest average pump power (300 µW), we create all four Bell states with a detected two-photon coincidence rate of 7 kHz per bandwidth of 0.9 nm, in a spectral range of more than 20 nm. To characterize the purity of the states produced by this source, we use quantum-state tomography to reconstruct the corresponding density matrices, with fidelities of 95 % or more for each Bell state.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

1. E. Schrödinger, "Die gegenwärtige Situation in der Quantenmechanik," Naturwissenschaften 23, 807?812; 823?828; 844?849 (1935). [CrossRef]
2. R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, R. B. and M. L. Sands, The Feynman Lectures on Physics, (Addison-Wesley, Massachusetts, 1965) Vol. 3.
3. C. H. Bennett and G. Brassard, in Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. on Computers, Systems and Signal Processing 175?179 (IEEE, Bangalore, 1984).
4. A. K. Ekert, "Quantum cryptography based on Bell's theorem," Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 661-663 (1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. C. H. Bennett, G. Brassard, C. Crepeau, R. Jozsa, A. Peres, and W. K. Wootters, "Teleporting an unknown quantum state via dual classical and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen channels," Phys. Rev. Lett.  70, 1895?1899 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. P. W. Shor, "Fault-tolerant quantum conputation," in Proc. 37th Symp. on Foundations of Computer Science 15-65 (IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, 1996).
7. N. Gisin, G. Ribordy, W. Tittel, and H. Zbinden, "Quantum cryptography," Rev. Mod. Phys. 74, 145?195 (2002). [CrossRef]
8. J. F. Clauser, in Quantum [Un]speakables: From Bell to Quantum Information, R. A. Bertlmann, and A. Zeilinger, eds., (Springer, Heidelberg, 2002) pg. 61? 98.
9. M. A. Nielsen and I. L. Chaung, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
10. D. Bouwmeester, J. W. Pan, K. Mattle, M. Eibl, H. Weinfurter, and A. Zeilinger, "Experimental quantum teleportation," Nature 390, 575 ?579 (1997). [CrossRef]
11. P. Walther, K. J. Resch, T. Rudolph, E. Schenck, H. Weinfurter, V. Vedral, M. Aspelmeyer, A. Zeilinger, "Experimental one-way quantum computing," Nature 434, 169 ? 176 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. N. Gisin and R. Thew, "Quantum Communication," Nat. Photonics 1, 165 ? 171 (2007). [CrossRef]
13. D. C. Burnham and D. L. Weinberg, "Observation of simultaneity in parametric production of optical photon pairs," Phys. Rev. Lett. 25, 84-87 (1970). [CrossRef]
14. P. G. Kwiat, E. Waks, A. G. White, I. Appelbaum, and P. H. Eberhard, "Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons," Phys. Rev. A 60, 773-776 (R) (1999). [CrossRef]
15. C. Kurtsiefer, M. Oberparleiter and H. Weinfurter, "High-efficiency entangled photon pair collection in type-II parametric fluorescence," Phys. Rev. A 64, 023802 1-4 (2001). [CrossRef]
16. J. Altepeter, E. Jeffrey, and P. G. Kwiat, "Phase-compensated ultra-bright source of entangled photons," Opt. Express 13, 8951-8959 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. T. Kim, M. Fiorentino, and F. N. C. Wong, "Phase-stable source of polarization-entangled photons using a polarization Sagnac interferometer," Phys. Rev. A 73, 012316 (2006). [CrossRef]
18. G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear Fiber Optics, 2nd edition (Academic, New York, 1995).
19. L. J. Wang, C. K. Hong, and S. R. Friberg, "Generation of correlated photons via four-wave mixing in optical fibres," J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclassical Opt. 3, 346-352 (2001). [CrossRef]
20. H. Takesue, and K. Inoue, "Generation of polarization-entangled photon pairs and violation of Bell's inequality using spontaneous four-wave mixing in a fiber loop," Phys. Rev. A, 70, 031802?031804 (R) (2004). [CrossRef]
21. X. Li, P. L. Voss, JayE. Sharping, and P. Kumar, "Optical?fiber source of polarization-entangled photons in the 1550 nm Telecom Band," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 053601-053605 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
22. A. Birks, J. C. Knight, and P. St. Russell, "Endlessly single-mode photonic crystal fiber," Opt. Lett. 22, 961-963 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. J. Fan, A. Migdall, and L. J. Wang, "Efficient generation of correlated photon pairs in a microstructure fiber," Opt. Lett. 30, 3368-3370 (2005). [CrossRef]
24. F. V. Daniel, P. G. Kwiat, W. J. Munro, and A. G. White, "On the measurement of qubits," Phys. Rev. A 64, 052312 1?23 (2001).
25. J. Fan, and A. Migdall, "A broadband high spectral brightness fiber-based two-photon source," Opt. Express 15, 2915-2920 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
26. J. Fan, M. D. Eisaman, and A. Migdall, "Bright phase-stable broadband fiber-based source of polarization-entangled photon pairs," Phys. Rev. A 76, 2043836 (2007). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclassical Opt.

• L. J. Wang, C. K. Hong, and S. R. Friberg, "Generation of correlated photons via four-wave mixing in optical fibres," J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclassical Opt. 3, 346-352 (2001). [CrossRef]

Nat. Photonics

• N. Gisin and R. Thew, "Quantum Communication," Nat. Photonics 1, 165 ? 171 (2007). [CrossRef]

Nature

• D. Bouwmeester, J. W. Pan, K. Mattle, M. Eibl, H. Weinfurter, and A. Zeilinger, "Experimental quantum teleportation," Nature 390, 575 ?579 (1997). [CrossRef]
• P. Walther, K. J. Resch, T. Rudolph, E. Schenck, H. Weinfurter, V. Vedral, M. Aspelmeyer, A. Zeilinger, "Experimental one-way quantum computing," Nature 434, 169 ? 176 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Naturwissenschaften

• E. Schrödinger, "Die gegenwärtige Situation in der Quantenmechanik," Naturwissenschaften 23, 807?812; 823?828; 844?849 (1935). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. Altepeter, E. Jeffrey, and P. G. Kwiat, "Phase-compensated ultra-bright source of entangled photons," Opt. Express 13, 8951-8959 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. Fan, and A. Migdall, "A broadband high spectral brightness fiber-based two-photon source," Opt. Express 15, 2915-2920 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• A. Birks, J. C. Knight, and P. St. Russell, "Endlessly single-mode photonic crystal fiber," Opt. Lett. 22, 961-963 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. Fan, A. Migdall, and L. J. Wang, "Efficient generation of correlated photon pairs in a microstructure fiber," Opt. Lett. 30, 3368-3370 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. A

• J. Fan, M. D. Eisaman, and A. Migdall, "Bright phase-stable broadband fiber-based source of polarization-entangled photon pairs," Phys. Rev. A 76, 2043836 (2007). [CrossRef]
• T. Kim, M. Fiorentino, and F. N. C. Wong, "Phase-stable source of polarization-entangled photons using a polarization Sagnac interferometer," Phys. Rev. A 73, 012316 (2006). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• D. C. Burnham and D. L. Weinberg, "Observation of simultaneity in parametric production of optical photon pairs," Phys. Rev. Lett. 25, 84-87 (1970). [CrossRef]
• A. K. Ekert, "Quantum cryptography based on Bell's theorem," Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 661-663 (1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. H. Bennett, G. Brassard, C. Crepeau, R. Jozsa, A. Peres, and W. K. Wootters, "Teleporting an unknown quantum state via dual classical and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen channels," Phys. Rev. Lett.  70, 1895?1899 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• X. Li, P. L. Voss, JayE. Sharping, and P. Kumar, "Optical?fiber source of polarization-entangled photons in the 1550 nm Telecom Band," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 053601-053605 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Rev. Mod. Phys.

• N. Gisin, G. Ribordy, W. Tittel, and H. Zbinden, "Quantum cryptography," Rev. Mod. Phys. 74, 145?195 (2002). [CrossRef]

Other

• J. F. Clauser, in Quantum [Un]speakables: From Bell to Quantum Information, R. A. Bertlmann, and A. Zeilinger, eds., (Springer, Heidelberg, 2002) pg. 61? 98.
• M. A. Nielsen and I. L. Chaung, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
• P. W. Shor, "Fault-tolerant quantum conputation," in Proc. 37th Symp. on Foundations of Computer Science 15-65 (IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, 1996).
• R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, R. B. and M. L. Sands, The Feynman Lectures on Physics, (Addison-Wesley, Massachusetts, 1965) Vol. 3.
• C. H. Bennett and G. Brassard, in Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. on Computers, Systems and Signal Processing 175?179 (IEEE, Bangalore, 1984).
• P. G. Kwiat, E. Waks, A. G. White, I. Appelbaum, and P. H. Eberhard, "Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons," Phys. Rev. A 60, 773-776 (R) (1999). [CrossRef]
• C. Kurtsiefer, M. Oberparleiter and H. Weinfurter, "High-efficiency entangled photon pair collection in type-II parametric fluorescence," Phys. Rev. A 64, 023802 1-4 (2001). [CrossRef]
• G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear Fiber Optics, 2nd edition (Academic, New York, 1995).
• H. Takesue, and K. Inoue, "Generation of polarization-entangled photon pairs and violation of Bell's inequality using spontaneous four-wave mixing in a fiber loop," Phys. Rev. A, 70, 031802?031804 (R) (2004). [CrossRef]
• F. V. Daniel, P. G. Kwiat, W. J. Munro, and A. G. White, "On the measurement of qubits," Phys. Rev. A 64, 052312 1?23 (2001).

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