Multiplexed single-photon state preparation using a fibre-loop architecture

Abstract: Heralded spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) has become the mainstay for single-photon state preparation in present-day photonics experiments. Because they are heralded, in principle one knows when a single photon has been prepared. However, the heralding efficiencies in experimentally realistic SPDC sources are typically very low. To overcome this, multiplexing techniques have been proposed which employ a bank of SPDC sources in parallel, and route successfully heralded photons to the output, thereby effectively boosting the heralding efficiency. However, running a large bank of independent SPDC sources is costly and requires complex switching. We analyse a multiplexing technique based on time-bin encoding that allows the heralding efficiency of just a single SPDC source to be increased. The scheme is simple and experimentally viable using present-day technology. We analyse the operation of the scheme in terms of experimentally realistic considerations, such as losses, detector inefficiency, and pump-power.