Project 6: Single Photons

Introduction

Authors: 

Anaïs Dréau, Vincent Jacques

Light produced by chaotic sources, such as stars or spectral lamps, as well as that emitted by lasers, can be satisfactorily described without resorting to quantum physics. However, the properties of light emitted by a single emitter cannot be explained within a purely classical framework.

The goal of this experimental project is to explore this physics by implementing a single-photon source based on an NV color center in diamond. This center is a substitution defect in the diamond lattice, consisting of a nitrogen atom and a vacancy replacing two neighboring carbon atoms. It acts as an artificial atom trapped within the crystal lattice.