Atomically-thin Single-photon Sources for Quantum Communication

Abstract

To date, quantum communication widely relies on attenuated lasers for secret key generation. In future quantum networks fundamental limitations resulting from their probabilistic photon distribution must be overcome by using deterministic quantum light sources. Confined excitons in monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) constitute an emerging type of emitter for quantum light generation. These atomically-thin solid-state sources show appealing prospects for large-scale and low-cost device integration, meeting the demands of quantum information technologies. Here, we pioneer the practical suitability of TMDC devices in quantum communication. We employ a ${\mathrm{WSe}}_2$ monolayer single-photon source to emulate the BB84 protocol in a quantum key distribution (QKD) setup and achieve click rates of up to 66.95 kHz and antibunching values down to 0.034 - a performance competitive with QKD experiments using semiconductor quantum dots or color centers in diamond. Our work opens the route towards wider applications of quantum information technologies using TMDC single-photon sources.

arXiv commentMain text: 11 pages (including 4 figures, 1 table, and 58 citations); Supplementary: 5 pages (including 6 figures) Revised version with extended discussions of the results in the main text and extended information in the supplementary

References in corpus (30)

• 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures
• The Quantum Internet
• Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality using entangled electron spins separated by 1.3 km
• Satellite-to-ground quantum key distribution
• Beating the PNS attack in practical quantum cryptography
• Fundamental Limits of Repeaterless Quantum Communications
• General Benchmarks for Quantum Repeaters
• Free-Space distribution of entanglement and single photons over 144 km
• Practical Decoy State for Quantum Key Distribution
• Tight Finite-Key Analysis for Quantum Cryptography
• Large-scale quantum-emitter arrays in atomically thin semiconductors
• Photon antibunching in the fluorescence of individual color centers in diamond
• Single photon quantum cryptography
• A bright and fast source of coherent single photons
• Deterministic strain-induced arrays of quantum emitters in a two-dimensional semiconductor
• Fundamental rate-loss tradeoff for optical quantum key distribution
• Functional Quantum Nodes for Entanglement Distribution over Scalable Quantum Networks
• Atomically thin quantum light emitting diodes
• Deterministic coupling of site-controlled quantum emitters in monolayer semiconductors to plasmonic nanocavities
• Quantum Communication Using Semiconductor Quantum Dots
• Quantum cryptography with highly entangled photons from semiconductor quantum dots
• Strain-tunable Single Photon Sources in WSe2 Monolayers
• Cascaded emission of single photons from the biexciton in monolayered WSe2
• Evaluation of nitrogen- and silicon-vacancy defect centres as single photon sources in quantum key distribution
• Purcell-enhanced single photon source based on a deterministically placed WSe${}_2$ monolayer quantum dot in a circular Bragg grating cavity
• Machine Learning for Optimal Parameter Prediction in Quantum Key Distribution
• Tools for the Performance Optimization of Single-Photon Quantum Key Distribution
• Single-emitter quantum key distribution over 175 km of fiber with optimised finite key rates
• A Quantum Key Distribution Testbed using a Plug&Play Telecom-wavelength Single-Photon Source
• Efficient room-temperature molecular single-photon sources for quantum key distribution

Cited by in corpus (19)

• Quantum dots for photonic quantum information technology
• Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials
• Single-emitter quantum key distribution over 175 km of fiber with optimised finite key rates
• Ultra-bright single photon source based on an atomically thin material
• Quantum Optics Applications of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Defects
• Tailoring Polarization in WSe${}_2$ Quantum Emitters through Deterministic Strain Engineering
• Polarization dynamics of solid-state quantum emitters
• Plasmon Enhanced Quantum Properties of Single Photon Emitters with Hybrid Hexagonal Boron Nitride Silver Nanocube Systems
• Quantum cryptography beyond key distribution: theory and experiment
• Plasmonic Nanocavity to Boost Single Photon Emission from Defects in Thin Hexagonal Boron Nitride
• High-purity and stable single-photon emission in bilayer WSe${}_2$ via phonon-assisted excitation
• Nanoparticle Stressor-Induced Single-photon Sources in Monolayer WS${}_2$ Emitting into a Narrowband Visible Spectral Range
• Circular dichroism induction in WS2 by a chiral plasmonic metasurface
• Spatially resolved photon statistics of general nanophotonic systems
• Many-Body Entanglement in Solid-State Emitters
• Harnessing Data Augmentation to Quantify Uncertainty in the Early Estimation of Single-Photon Source Quality
• Secure Quantum Key Distribution Using a Room-Temperature Quantum Emitter
• Layered semiconductors integrated with polyimide thin films for high-quality valleytronic and quantum-photonic systems
• Mechanisms and Opportunities for Tunable High-Purity Single Photon Emitters: A Review of Hybrid Perovskites and Prospects for Bright Squeezed Vacuum