Extending single-photon optimized superconducting transition edge sensors beyond the single-photon counting regime

Published

October 2, 2012

Author(s)

Thomas Gerrits, Brice R. Calkins, Nathan A. Tomlin, Adriana E. Lita, Alan L. Migdall, Richard P. Mirin, Sae Woo Nam

Abstract

Typically, transition edge sensors resolve photon number of up to 10 or 20 photons, depending on the wavelength and TES design. We extend that dynamic range up to 1000 photons, while maintaining sub- shot noise detection process uncertainty of the number of detected photons and beyond that show a monotonic response up to ≅ 6 × 10⁶ photons in a single light pulse. This mode of operation, which heats the sensor far beyond its transition edge into the normal conductive regime, offers a technique for connecting single-photon-counting measurements to radiant- power measurements at picowatt levels. Connecting these two usually incompatible operating regimes in a single detector offers significant potential for directly tying photon counting measurements to conventional cryogenic radiometric standards. In addition, our measurements highlight the advantages of a photon-number state source over a coherent pulse source as a tool for characterizing such a detector.

Citation

Optics Express

Volume

20

Issue

21

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.023798

Keywords

transition edge sensor, bridging the gap, radiometer

Citation

Gerrits, T. , Calkins, B. , Tomlin, N. , Lita, A. , Migdall, A. , Mirin, R. and Nam, S. (2012), Extending single-photon optimized superconducting transition edge sensors beyond the single-photon counting regime, Optics Express, [online], https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.023798 (Accessed December 14, 2024)