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Journal of Modern Optics

Absolute calibration of photodiodes with bright twin beams

Alberto M. Marino, Paul D. Lett

Published Oct 15, 2010• 16 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a scheme based on the use of bright entangled twin beams for the calibration of analog photodiodes, providing an extension of the schemes for calibrating photon-counting detectors with photon pairs. Previous proposals for the calibration of analog photodiodes with entangled beams are based on a stimulated parametric process operating in the low-gain regime. We start by showing that in those proposals it is necessary to know the exact value of the gain as any error in estimating it will lead to an error in the calibration of the quantum efficiency. We then introduce a technique that is independent of the gain, thus eliminating the uncertainty introduced from errors in estimating the gain or experimental fluctuations of parameters that affect the gain. A proof of principle implementation of this technique using bright twin beams obtained from a four-wave mixing process in rubidium vapor shows its viability for the calibration of analog photodiodes.

DOI
10.1080/09500340.2010.519444

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We present a scheme based on the use of bright entangled twin beams for the calibration of analog photodiodes, providing an extension of the schemes for calibrating photon-counting detectors with photon pairs. Previous proposals for the calibration of analog photodiodes with entangled beams are based on a stimulated parametric process operating in the low-gain regime. We start by showing that in those proposals it is necessary to know the exact value of the gain as any error in estimating it will lead to an error in the calibration of the quantum efficiency. We then introduce a technique that is independent of the gain, thus eliminating the uncertainty introduced from errors in estimating the gain or experimental fluctuations of parameters that affect the gain. A proof of principle implementation of this technique using bright twin beams obtained from a four-wave mixing process in rubidium vapor shows its viability for the calibration of analog photodiodes.
Spontaneous parametric down conversion has been largely exploited as a tool for absolute calibration of photon counting detectors, photomultiplier tubes or avalanche photodiodes working in the Geiger regime. In this work we investigate the extension of this technique from very low photon flux of the photon counting regime to the absolute calibration of analog photodetectors at higher photon flux. Moving towards a higher photon rate, i.e. at a high gain regime, the spontaneous parametric down conversion shows the intrinsic limitations of the method, while the stimulated parametric down conversion process, where a seed beam is properly injected into the crystal in order to increase the photon generation rate in the conjugate arm, allows us to work around this problem. A preliminary uncertainty budget is discussed.
Single-photon detectors are of great importance in spectroscopy, laser ranging, astronomy and wherever weak light detection is required, so a precise knowledge of their quantum efficiency is essential, but their calibration is by no means trivial. Traditional methods need a black body radiation source or a highly attenuated laser beam as a reference standard, or an already calibrated reference detector. It is well known that absolute measurement of the quantum efficiency, absolute in the sense that the calibration is independent of any radiometric standard or the properties of another detector, can be performed using entangled twin photons generated in optical spontaneous parametric down-conversion together with a reference detector. We have performed the first proof-of-principle experiment to determine the quantum efficiency by which no second detector or reference standard is required. This absolute self-calibration method is also based on the time correlation of photons emitted in parametric down-conversion, but with the introduction of a suitable time delay between the arrival times of the twin photons. Furthermore, we describe a scheme for absolute self-calibration of the quantum efficiency at different wavelengths by means of a pulsed source of nondegenerate down-converted photons. This method should have even greater potential for applications.
A nonclassical light source is used to demonstrate experimentally the absolute efficiency calibration of a photon-number-resolving detector. The photon-pair detector calibration method developed by Klyshko for single-photon detectors is generalized to take advantage of the higher dynamic range and additional information provided by photon-number-resolving detectors. This enables the use of brighter twin-beam sources including amplified pulse pumped sources, which increases the relevant signal and provides measurement redundancy, making the calibration more robust.
Single-photon detectors are of great importance in spectroscopy, laser ranging, astronomy and wherever weak light detection is required, so a precise knowledge of their quantum efficiency is essential, but their calibration is by no means trivial. Traditional methods need a black body radiation source or a highly attenuated laser beam as a reference standard, or an already calibrated reference detector. It is well known that absolute measurement of the quantum efficiency, absolute in the sense that the calibration is independent of any radiometric standard or the properties of another detector, can be performed using entangled twin photons generated in optical spontaneous parametric down-conversion together with a reference detector. We have performed the first proof-of-principle experiment to determine the quantum efficiency by which no second detector or reference standard is required. This absolute self-calibration method is also based on the time correlation of photons emitted in parametric down-conversion, but with the introduction of a suitable time delay between the arrival times of the twin photons. Furthermore, we describe a scheme for absolute self-calibration of the quantum efficiency at different wavelengths by means of a pulsed source of nondegenerate down-converted photons. This method should have even greater potential for applications.