COMPONENTS FOR MULTI-PHOTON NON-CLASSICAL STATE PREPARATION AND MEASUREMENT

We report recent progress in heralded pure-state single-photon sources based upon spontaneous nonlinear optical interactions parametric down conversion in a bulk second-order nonlinear optical crystal and four-wave mixing in photonic-crystal fiber. Time-multiplexed photon-number resolving detection is discussed. A phase-sensitive photon-counting detector, with configurable positive operator-value measures, based upon time-multiplexed avalanche photodiodes is described. Characterization of quantum detectors using techniques similar to state and process tomography is reviewed. Experimental characterization of an avalanche photodiode is presented as an example.