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arXiv:2606.14365

Certification of the genuine resolution of photon number resolving detectors

Jef Pauwels, Towsif Taher, Roope Uola, Boris Korzh, Nicolas Brunner, Pavel Sekatski

quant-phphysics.ins-detphysics.opticsSubmitted Jun 12, 2026• Announced Jun 15, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

Photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors are essential components of photonic quantum technologies, yet thus far, no practical metric exists to certify how many photons they can genuinely resolve in a single measurement. Here we introduce an operational framework for quantifying the capability of a PNR detector to distinguish between different numbers of photons, i.e. its genuine resolution. In turn, we develop a practical and scalable protocol for certifying the genuine resolution of a detector, which is based on coherent state probes. We apply the method to a 28-pixel photon-number-resolving superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (PNR-SNSPD) and certify genuine four-outcome resolution. Our work highlights the critical requirements in terms of detector efficiency towards achieving high genuine resolution. This approach provides an operational benchmark for PNR detectors and fills a crucial gap in the characterization of photonic quantum devices.

Comments
10 + 3 pages, 3 tables, 4 figures

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