A memory-based quantum repeater architecture provides a solution to distribute quantum information to an arbitrary long distance. Practical quantum repeaters are likely to be built in optical-fiber networks which take advantage of the low-loss transmission between quantum memory nodes. Most quantum memory platforms have characteristic atomic transitions away from the telecommunication band. A nondegenerate photon pair source is therefore useful for connection of a quantum memory to optical fibers. Here, we report a high-brightness narrowband photon-pair source which is compatible with a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal Pr3+:Y2SiO5. The photon-pair source is generated through a cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down-conversion process with the signal photon at 606 nm and the idler photon at 1540 nm. Moreover, using the telecom C-band idler photons for heralding, we demonstrate the reversible transfer of orbital-angular-momentum qubit between the signal photon and the quantum memory based on Pr3+:Y2SiO5.
Keywords: Heralded single photons; Orbital angular momentum; Quantum memory; Quantum repeater; Telecommunication band.
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