Related papers: Single microwave photon detection in the micromase…
The observation of fast physical dynamics using optical techniques currently relies on indirect methods, such as pump-probe measurements. One reason for this is the lack of an efficient detector with high time resolution. Single-photon…
Optical mixing experiments show the ability of amplifying a weak optical signal by superposing it with a stronger one. This principle has been demonstrated also for weak signals at the quantum level, down to a single photon. In the present…
We applied a recently developed fiber coupling technique to superconducting single photon detectors (SSPDs). As the detector area of SSPDs has to be kept as small as possible, coupling to an optical fiber has been either inefficient or…
Quantum illumination is a quantum-optical sensing technique in which an entangled source is exploited to improve the detection of a low-reflectivity object that is immersed in a bright thermal background. Entangled sources between microwave…
In this paper, we present a new experimental apparatus for the measurement of the detection efficiency of free-space single-photon detectors based on the substitution method. For the first time, we extend the analysis to account for the…
We predict that the threshold detectors based on Al Josephson junctions, with critical currents below 100 nA, exhibiting a phase diffusion regime, can be exploited for the microwave photon detection both at 17 mK and 700 mK. We demonstrate…
Spectral imaging and detection of mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelengths are emerging as an enabling technology of great technical and scientific interest; primarily because important chemical compounds display unique and strong mid-IR spectral…
Shortly after their inception, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) became the leading quantum light detection technology. With the capability of detecting single-photons with near-unity efficiency, high time…
A wide range of experiments studying microwave photons localized in superconducting cavities have made important contributions to our understanding of the quantum properties of radiation. Propagating microwave photons, however, have so far…
Single-photon detectors have achieved impressive performance, and have led to a number of new scientific discoveries and technological applications. Existing models of photodetectors are semiclassical in that the field-matter interaction is…
The hidden sector photon is a weakly interacting hypothetical particle with sub-eV mass that kinetically mixes with the photon. We describe a microwave frequency light shining through a wall experiment where a cryogenic resonant microwave…
We propose a single photon detector based on a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with superconductor-normal metal-superconductor Josephson weak links. One of the two Josephson junctions is connected to an antenna, and is…
We demonstrate photon noise limited performance in both phase and amplitude readout in microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) consisting of NbTiN and Al, down to 100 fW of optical power. We simulate the far field beam pattern of the…
The composition of dark matter is one of the puzzling topics in astrophysics. To address this issue, several experiments searching for the existence of axions have been designed, built and realized in the last twenty years. Among all the…
Single photon detectors play a key role across several basic science and technology applications. While progress has been made in improving performance, single photon detectors that can maintain high performance while also resolving the…
Photon counting is a cornerstone of quantum optics. Here, we demonstrate precisely counting from 0 to over 9000 photons, beating the Poisson noise limit by at least $4.1~\mathrm{dB}$ across this range. We achieve sub-single-photon precision…
Ultra-sensitive short-wave infrared (SWIR) photon detection is a crucial aspect of ongoing research in quantum technology. However, developing such detectors on a CMOS-compatible silicon technological platform has been challenging due to…
Single atom imaging requires discrimination of weak photon count events above background and has typically been performed using either EMCCD cameras, photomultiplier tubes or single photon counting modules. sCMOS provides a cost effective…
We propose a novel approach to the important fundamental problem of detecting weak optical fields at the few photon level. The ability to detect with high efficiency (>99%), and to distinguish the number of photons in a given time interval…
Single-photon sources are crucial for quantum information technologies. Here, we demonstrate a microwave single-photon source fabricated using a tantalum-based thin film, whose favorable material properties enable high-quality and stable…