Lita, A.
, Miller, A.
and Nam, S.
(2008),
Counting near-infrared single-photons with 95% efficiency, Optics Express, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=32855
(Accessed October 17, 2025)
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Counting near-infrared single-photons with 95% efficiency
Published
Author(s)
, Aaron J. Miller,
Abstract
Single-photon detectors operating at visible and near-infrared wavelengths with high detection efficiency and low noise are a requirement for many quantum-information applications. Superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) are capable of detecting visible and near-infrared light at the single-photon level and are capable of discriminating between one-and two-photon absorption events; however these capabilities place stringent design requirements on the TES heat capacity, thermometry, and optical detection efficiency. We describe the fabrication and evaluation of a fiber-coupled, photon-number-resolving TES detector optimized for absorption at 1550 and 1310 nm wavelengths. The measured system detection efficiency at 1556 nm is 95% ± 2%, which to our knowledge is the highest system detection efficiency reported for a near-infrared singlephoton detector.Citation
Optics Express
Volume
16
Issue
5
Pub Type
Journals
Download Paper
Keywords
optical design, single photon detectors
Citation
Issues
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Created February 20, 2008, Updated February 17, 2017