High on/off ratio nanosecond laser pulses for a triggered single-photon source

Abstract

An 852nm nanosecond laser pulse chain with a high on/off ratio is generated by chopping a continuous-wave laser beam using a Mach-Zehnder-type electro-optic intensity modulator(MZ-EOIM). The detailed dependence of the MZ-EOIM's on/off ratio on various parameters is characterized. By optimizing the incident beam polarization and stabilizing the MZ-EOIM temperature, a static on/off ratio of 12600:1 is achieved. The dynamic on/off ratios versus the pulse repetition rate and the pulse duty cycle are measured and discussed. The high-on/off-ratio nanosecond pulsed laser system was used in a triggered single-photon source based on a trapped single cesium atom, which reveals clear antibunching.