Highly directional single-photon source

Abstract

Single-photon emitters are a pivotal element in quantum technologies, but the generation of single photons along well-defined directions generally involves sophisticated configurations. Here, we propose a photon source capable of generating single photons with high efficiency along guided modes. Specifically, we consider a quantum emitter placed in a periodically patterned linear waveguide. The latter is designed to host a single guided mode over the spectral range of interest and display a divergence in the photonic density of states at an emission wavelength close to the period. Photons are preferentially emitted along the waveguide near that spectral region. We predict that nearly all of the emission can be made to occur along the waveguide with a reduction in the temporal uncertainty by two orders of magnitude. Our study opens a conceptually new direction in the production of single photons with a high degree of directionality and reduced temporal uncertainty.