Bright single photons for light-matter interaction

Single photons of subnatural linewidth and high spectral brightness are necessary for efficient light-matter interaction at the single-photon level, which lies at the heart of many quantum photonic technologies. Here we demonstrate a bright source of single photons with subnatural linewidth, controllable waveforms, and a high spectral brightness of 3.67 x 10(5) s(-1) mW(-1) MHz(-1). The interaction between the single photons and atoms is demonstrated by the controlled absorption of the single photons in an atomic vapor. Our work has potential applications in quantum information technologies.