Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Deployment of practical quantum networks, which operate at or near single photon levels, requires carefully quantifying noise processes. We investigate noise due to blackbody radiation emitted into the guided mode of silica single mode optical fibres near room temperature, which to date is under-explored in the literature. We utilise a single photon avalanche detector and lock in detection to measure$\approx$0.1 photons/s/THz ($\approx$−170 dBm/THz) at 40$^{\circ }$C near the optically thick limit of 20 km in silica fibre. We also measure a coarse spectrum to validate the blackbody behaviour, and observe a prominent anomaly around the 1430 nm coarse wavelength division multiplexing channel, likely due to -OH impurities. Though the magnitude of this noise is small, it is additive noise which imposes a fundamental limit in raw fidelity in quantum communication, and a fundamental noise floor in classical communication over optical fibres.
Source: Journal of Lightwave Technology
Authors: Michael Hencz, Mark Baker, Erik W. Streed
Institutions: Griffith University, Defence Science and Technology Group
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4405632527