Lidar with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors: Recent advances and developments

Single-photon detectors (SPDs) that can sense individual photons are the most sensitive instruments for photodetection. Established SPDs such as conventional silicon or III-V compound semiconductor avalanche diodes and photomultiplier tubes have been used in a wide range of time-correlated photon-counting applications, including quantum information technologies, in vivo biomedical imaging, time-of-flight 3D scanners, and deep-space optical communications. However, further development of these fields requires more sophisticated detectors with high detection efficiency, fast response, and photon-number-resolving ability, etc. Thereby, significant efforts have been made to improve the performance of conventional SPDs and to develop new photon-counting technologies. In this review, the working mechanisms and key performance metrics of conventional SPDs are first summarized. Then emerging photon-counting detectors (in the visible to infrared range) based on 0D quantum dots, 1D quantum nanowires, and 2D layered materials are discussed. These low-dimensional materials exhibit many exotic properties due to the quantum confinement effect. And photodetectors built from these nD-materials (n = 0, 1, 2) can potentially be used for ultra-weak light detection. By reviewing the status and discussing the challenges faced by SPDs, this review aims to provide future perspectives on the research directions of emerging photon-counting technologies.

Emerging Single-Photon Detectors Based on Low-Dimensional Materials.

We propose a new technique for remote sensing: photon-counting laser mapping. Micro- channel plate detectors with crossed delay-line (MCP/CDL) readout combine high position accuracy and sub-nanosecond photon timing, at event rates of 106 detected photons per second and more. A mapping system would combine an MCP/CDL detector with a fast pulse, high repetition rate laser illuminator. The system would map solid targets with exceptional range and cross-range resolution. The resulting images would be intrinsically three- dimensional, without resorting to multiple viewing angles, so that objects of identical albedo could be discriminated. For a detector time resolution and pulse width of order 1010 seconds, the in-range resolution would be a few centimeters, allowing the discrimination of surfaces by their textures. Images could be taken at night, at illumination levels up to full moonlight, from ground, airborne, or space platforms. We discuss signal-to-noise as a function of laser flux and background level.

Laser ranging and mapping with a photon-counting detector

Advances in Chip-Scale Quantum Photonic Technologies

Abstract Classical and quantum space-to-ground communications necessitate highly sensitive receivers capable of extracting information from modulated photons to extend the communication distance from near-earth orbits to deep space explorations. To achieve gigabit data rates while mitigating strong background noise photons and beam drift in a highly attenuated free-space channel, a comprehensive design of a multi-functional detector is indispensable. In this study, we present an innovative compact multi-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array that integrates near-unity detection efficiency (91.6%), high photon counting rate (1.61 Gcps), large dynamic range for resolving different photon numbers (1–24), and four-quadrant position sensing function all within one device. Furthermore, we have constructed a communication testbed to validate the advantages offered by such an architecture. Through 8-PPM (pulse position modulation) format communication experiments, we have achieved an impressive maximum data rate of 1.5 Gbps, demonstrating sensitivities surpassing previous benchmarks at respective speeds. By incorporating photon number information into error correction codes, the receiver can tolerate maximum background noise levels equivalent to 0.8 photons/slot at a data rate of 120 Mbps—showcasing a great potential for daylight operation scenarios. Additionally, preliminary beam tracking tests were conducted through open-loop scanning techniques, which revealed clear quantitative dependence indicating sensitivity variations based on beam location. Based on the device characterizations and communication results, we anticipate that this device architecture, along with its corresponding signal processing and coding techniques, will be applicable in future space-to-ground communication tasks. 

A compact multi-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array supporting gigabit space-to-ground communications

Superconducting series nanowire single-photon detectors (SNDs) have been used for resolving photon numbers. But it can also exhibit a higher counting rate than a single superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), because the serial architecture allows multiple detectors working in parallel and the inductance of each pixel is reduced. In this paper, we found each pixel of the SND could reset fast although the whole detector took a much longer time for recovering. Therefore, the speed of an SND with a large kinetic inductance of 1.25 μH was characterized and compared to a standard SNSPD with the same total inductance. By measuring the detected photon rate over the input photon rate, we obtained a photon counting rate enhancement by 7.5 times. Meanwhile, the timing jitter of the SND was 63 ps at single photon detection regime. Our results show that the series structure and the readout scheme are quite practical in realizing high speed single-photon detectors besides resolving photon numbers.

/pdf/characterize-the-speed-of-a-photon-number-resolving-3a83lfz8jo.pdf

Characterize the Speed of a Photon-Number-Resolving Superconducting Nanowire Detector

Linear photon-number resolution is the key to quantum tomography. However, it is difficult to realize ideal linear photon-number resolution through multi-pixel technology because of the lack of detectors with both an ultrahigh quantum efficiency and infinite pixel number. In this letter, a photon-number-resolving detector approaching linear resolution is demonstrated. The detector is composed of 16 niobium nitride nanowires (4 × 4 on the chip) driven by independent readouts. The parallel readout enables all pixels to register incident photons independently and efficiently. The experimental results indicate that the amplitudes of the output pulse signals after being combined are linearly proportional to the number of detected photons, and the maximum number of resolved photons reaches 16. The mean photon-number distribution μ = 0.5, 2.2, 3.5, and 5.5 in a laser pulse approximates an ideal Poisson distribution, which indicates that this detector approaches linear resolution. Moreover, the spatial distribution of light can be illustrated by the array device, and the result is consistent with the theoretical prediction.

Approaching linear photon-number resolution with superconductor nanowire array

The invention discloses a high-speed superconducting photon camera. The high-speed superconducting photon camera comprises picture elements composed a plurality of nanowires with a winding structure,an on-chip circuit scheme, an optical coupling scheme and an external reading circuit scheme; and a line or multiple lines are mutually formed between the picture elements by connecting delay lines, single line or multi-line structural arrays are distributed on a confocal plane to form a large face array camera photosurface, and pixels can exceed 4-1000000 pixels. The maximum frame rate of the camera can reach 1000 frame per second, the maximum photon detection efficiency can reach 98.5%, and a working wave band is 300 nm-10 [mu]m; and real-time synchronization detection of time and position information of a plurality of photons can be achieved, optical information reflected or directly reflected of an object surface can be directly captured, unique optical resolution information of an object is restored, and active or passive high sensitivity and high-speed photon imaging is realized.

High-speed superconducting photon camera

Photon-number-resolving (PNR) is an important functionality in many applications. The traditional single photon detectors (SNSPDs) operated with the conventional readout scheme does not have the PNR functionality. In this paper, we demonstrate a superconducting photon-number-resolving detector operating at the visible wavelength regime, based on the serial connection of six superconducting nanowires. The results of our 6-element PNR device show clear evidence of n -photons differentiation with n ranging from 1 to 6. The system detection efficiency reaches 54% with the dark counts rate below 10 Hz at 660 nm. The demonstrated 6-element PNR device does not require a complex readout circuit compared with the SNSPD array device, and is expected to have wider applications in addition to imaging and communication.

/pdf/experimental-demonstration-of-superconducting-series-rwen8dtfqi.pdf

Experimental Demonstration of Superconducting Series Nanowire Photon-Number-Resolving Detector at 660 nm Wavelength

The invention discloses a photon number resolution enhanced laser communication system and method. The system comprises a controller, a waveform generator, a pulse laser source, an adjustable attenuator, an array superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, a power amplifier, a power synthesizer, an analog-to-digital converter and an oscilloscope, wherein the controller carries out code modulation on data needing to be output and inputs the data to a waveform generator, the waveform generator converts the coded information into an electric pulse signal and outputs the electric pulse signalto the pulse laser source, the pulse laser source generates a corresponding optical pulse signal according to the input electric pulse signal, then the optical pulse signal is input into the array superconducting nanowire single-photon detector through the adjustable attenuator, a signal with photon number resolution is output through the power amplifier and the power synthesizer, and finally thesignal is received and collected by the oscilloscope after being shaped by the analog-to-digital converter. Error code interference caused by external optical space noise and dark noise of the superconducting detector is greatly reduced, so that the error rate is enabled to be close to the self-owned light quantum error code limit of optical communication.

Photon number resolution enhanced laser communication system and method

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