UNIversal DETector for quantum light
Local Manager: Andrea Salamon; PI: Mirko Lobino (TIFPA).
Photonics is one of the most promising platforms for quantum information science (QIS) and for new disruptive information and communication technologies.
Generation, manipulation, and measurement of quantum states of light are the key functionalities for photonic QIS, but for real world applications they must be realized on a robust and scalable platform. Integrated optics meet the above requirements since it can integrate non-classical light sources, reconfigurable waveguide circuits, and detectors.
In this project we will develop an innovative hybrid detector capable of measuring photon number and quadrature of an optical state, on an integrated platform. The detector will be realized using Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) over SiN strip loaded waveguide on a thin film lithium niobate substrate. This technology offers detection efficiency up to 98% at telecom wavelength, count rate up to GHz, jitter time of 5 ps, and low dark count rates.
We will exploit the scalability of this platform by fabricating photon number resolving (PNR) detectors via spatial multiplexing of a large number of weakly interacting single photon detectors coupled to the evanescent field of the same waveguide. With this scheme we will detect up to 20 photons with an overall efficiency >90%. We will integrate the PNR detectors with a directional coupler and measure photon number or quadrature via weak homodyne detection. These are the two fundamental type of measurements for photonic protocols.
