TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of photon statistics in a single-photon source via variable attenuation
AU - Zhang, Shengli
AU - Zou, Xubo
AU - Li, Chuanfeng
AU - Jin, Chenhui
AU - Guo, Guangcan
PY - 2009/10/8
Y1 - 2009/10/8
N2 - We propose a simple but effective scheme for characterizing photon-number statistics of a practical single-photon source. In this scheme, the variable attenuation method which frequently appears in decoy state quantum cryptography is utilized here to enhance the estimation of photon-number statistics. A much stricter bound for vacuum and single-photon proportions is obtained and this result, in turn, is shown to be applicable to the unconditional secure quantum cryptographic communication with single-photon devices.
AB - We propose a simple but effective scheme for characterizing photon-number statistics of a practical single-photon source. In this scheme, the variable attenuation method which frequently appears in decoy state quantum cryptography is utilized here to enhance the estimation of photon-number statistics. A much stricter bound for vacuum and single-photon proportions is obtained and this result, in turn, is shown to be applicable to the unconditional secure quantum cryptographic communication with single-photon devices.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349861967&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.80.043807
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.80.043807
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70349861967
SN - 1050-2947
VL - 80
JO - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
JF - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
IS - 4
M1 - 043807
ER -