Toward deterministic sources: Photon generation in a fiber-cavity quantum memory

We demonstrate the generation of photons within a fiber-cavity quantum memory, followed by later on-demand readout. Signal photons are generated by spontaneous four-wave mixing in a fiber cavity comprising a birefringent fiber with dichroic reflective end facets. The detection of the partner herald photon indicates the creation of the stored signal photon. After a delay, the signal photon is switched out of resonance with the fiber cavity by intracavity frequency translation using Bragg scattering four-wave mixing, driven by ancillary control pulses. We measure sub-Poissonian statistics in the output signal mode, with g^(2)_AC=0.54(1) in the first readout bin and a readout frequency translation efficiency of ≈80 ≈67 cavity cycles, or 1.68μs. In an alternate fiber cavity, we show a strategy for noise reduction and measure g^(2)_AC=0.068(10) after one cavity cycle.