A polarization entangled photon-pair source based on a type-II PPLN waveguide emitting at a telecom wavelength

Abstract

We report the realization of a fiber-coupled polarization entangled photon-pair source at 1310 nm based on a birefringent titanium in-diffused waveguide integrated into periodically poled lithium niobate. By making use of a dedicated and high-performance setup, we characterized the quantum properties of the pairs by measuring two-photon interference in both Hong-Ou-Mandel and standard Bell inequality configurations. For the two sets of measurements we obtained interference net visibilities reaching nearly 100%, which represent important and competitive results compared to those for the similar waveguidebased configurations already reported. These results prove the relevance of our approach as an enabling technology for long-distance quantum communication. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.