Single-photon interference and router-control in an optic fiber Sagnac interferometer

Abstract

A novel scheme to realize stable single-photon interference and router-control is demonstrated in this paper. Phase difference between clockwise and counter-clockwise single-photons is controlled by time-division phase modulation in an optic fiber Sagnac loop. Due to the annular geometric configuration of the Sagnac loop, clockwise and counter-clockwise single-photons travel the same optical path and have the same slowly-varying phase drifts, which are automatically compensated. Furthermore, clockwise and counter-clockwise single-photons encounter the same polarization mode dispersion, which is also automatically compensated at the exit port of the Sagnac interferometer. Long-distance single-mode optic fiber at 1550 nm is used in our experimental realization. Fringe visibility of single-photon interference higher than 98% and fidelity of single-photon router-control higher than 90% have been obtained in a Sagnac fiber loop of 5 km. We also realized a stable single-photon interference in Sagnac fiber loops as long as 27 and 52 km. The corresponding fringe visibilities were higher than 94% and 84%, respectively.