Photon-number-discriminating detection using a quantum-dot, optically gated, field-effect transistor

Published

October 1, 2007

Author(s)

Eric Gansen, Mary A. Rowe, M. Greene, Danna Rosenberg, Todd E. Harvey, Mark Su, Robert Hadfield, Sae Woo Nam, Richard Mirin

Abstract

Detectors with the capability to directly measure the photon number of a pulse of light^1-3 enable linear optics quantum computing⁴, affect the security of quantum communications⁵, and can be used to characterize^6-8 and herald⁹ non-classical states of light. Here, we demonstrate the photon-number-resolving capabilities of a quantum dot, optically gated, field-effect transistor that uses quantum dots as optically addressable floating gates in a GaAs/Al_0.2Ga_0.8As delta-doped field-effect transistor. When the active area of the detector is illuminated, photo-generated carriers trapped by quantum dots screen the gate field, causing a persistent change in the channel current that is proportional to the number of confined carriers. Using weak laser pulses, we show that discrete numbers of trapped carriers produce well-resolved changes in the channel current. We demonstrate that for a mean photon number of 1.1,, decision regions can be defined such that the field-effect transistor determines the number of detected photons with a probability of accuracy greater than 83%.

Citation

Nature Photonics

Volume

1

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

photon-number resolution, quantum optics, single-photon detector

Citation

Gansen, E. , Rowe, M. , Greene, M. , Rosenberg, D. , Harvey, T. , Su, M. , Hadfield, R. , Nam, S. and Mirin, R. (2007), Photon-number-discriminating detection using a quantum-dot, optically gated, field-effect transistor, Nature Photonics, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=32705 (Accessed October 14, 2024)