Abstract
Coherence length (time) is a key parameter in many classical and quantum
optical applications. Two interferometers – Michelson and
Young’s double-slit – are used to characterize the temporal
coherence of single photons emitted from single terrylene molecules. For
quantitative analysis, a dispersion-related distortion in the interference pattern
of a Michelson interferometer is carefully corrected by a simple dispersion
compensation. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that Young’s
interferometer can be used in temporal coherence studies at the single photon level
with high accuracy. The pros and cons of the two systems are discussed. The measured
coherence lengths in the two systems are consistent with one another under the
self-interference interpretations.
© 2015 Optical Society of Korea
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