Photon generation for quantum information - Nick Peters

According to Schroedinger, ``Entanglement is the characteristic trait of quantum mechanics.'' But for an idea that has been around since the first half of the twentieth century, the most simple entangled quantum system a pair of two-level systems still yields new and interesting physics. We will discuss generation of exotic entangled photon pairs, their ``concentration,'' and how their quantum nature enables a non-intuitive form of quantum communication called remote state preparation. Further, we will examine several ways of benchmarking entangled states. Finally, we will discuss progress on a quasi-deterministic single-photon source based on spontaneous parametric downconversion.