Sparrow Quantum, in collaboration with Ruhr University Bochum, has developed a deterministic source capable of generating over 500 million usable photons per second in single-mode fiber. The system operates at a frequency of 1 GHz and achieves fiber coupling efficiency exceeding 50%. According to the company, the output maintains high purity and indistinguishability of single photons without the need for spectral filtering.
The optical power of the generated stream exceeds 100 pW, allowing for measurement with standard optical power meters. By utilizing spatial-temporal demultiplexing to split the stream into 10 channels, the system delivers tens of millions of photons per second per channel. This capacity supports practical experiments involving 10 photons and interference of approximately 10–20 particles.
The company identifies potential applications for this technology in quantum computing, communications, networking, and metrology. Specifically, the source can serve as a photon flux standard and a tool for calibrating single-photon detectors. Vice President of Innovation Juan Carlos Loredo noted that this flux level reduces existing constraints for multi-photon experiments.
Founder Peter Lodahl stated that the next major objective for the company is the scalable generation and control of entanglement within larger photonic quantum systems. The current result is reported by Sparrow Quantum as the highest published single-photon flux to date.
