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New Journal of Physics

Photon number projection using non-number-resolving detectors

Peter P. Rohde, James Webb, Elanor H. Huntington, Timothy C. Ralph

Published Jul 17, 2007• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Number-resolving photo-detection is necessary for many quantum optics experiments, especially in the application of entangled state preparation. Several schemes have been proposed for approximating number-resolving photo-detection using non-number-resolving detectors. Such techniques include multi-port detection and time-division multiplexing. We provide a detailed analysis and comparison of different number-resolving detection schemes, with a view to creating a useful reference for experimentalists. We show that the ideal architecture for projective measurements is a function of the detector's dark count and efficiency parameters. We also describe a process for selecting an appropriate topology given actual experimental component parameters.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/9/7/233

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Number-resolving photo-detection is necessary for many quantum optics experiments, especially in the application of entangled state preparation. Several schemes have been proposed for approximating number-resolving photo-detection using non-number-resolving detectors. Such techniques include multi-port detection and time-division multiplexing. We provide a detailed analysis and comparison of different number-resolving detection schemes, with a view to creating a useful reference for experimentalists. We show that the ideal architecture for projective measurements is a function of the detector's dark count and efficiency parameters. We also describe a process for selecting an appropriate topology given actual experimental component parameters.
Number-resolving photo-detection is necessary for many quantum optics experiments, especially in the application of entangled state preparation. Several schemes have been proposed for approximating number-resolving photo-detection using non-number-resolving detectors. Such techniques include multi-port detection and time-division multiplexing. We provide a detailed analysis and comparison of different number-resolving detection schemes, with a view to creating a useful reference for experimentalists. We show that the ideal architecture for projective measurements is a function of the detector's dark count and efficiency parameters. We also describe a process for selecting an appropriate topology given actual experimental component parameters.
Many present day quantum optics experiments, particularly in optical quantum information processing, rely on number-resolving photo-detection as a basic building block. In this paper we demonstrate that a simple classical optimisation technique can sometimes be employed to post-process the detector signature and improve the confidence of the measurement outcome in the presence of photon-number errors such as loss or dark-counts. While the regime in which this technique is applicable is rather restrictive, and will likely not be very useful for the large-scale quantum information processing applications of the future, the ideas presented might be employed in some present-day experiments where photo-detectors are typically very poor.
We discuss the conditional preparation of single photons via parametric down-conversion. This technique is commonly used as a single photon source in modern quantum optics experiments. A significant problem facing this technique is the inability of present day photo-detectors to resolve photon number. This results in mixing with higher photon number terms. To overcome this several techniques have been proposed, including multi-port detection and time-division multiplexing. These techniques help approximate number resolving detection even when using non-number resolving detectors. In this paper we focus on 2-port detection, the simplest such scheme. We show that by making the 2-port device asymmetric the fidelity of prepared photons can be improved.
We present a scheme for non-deterministically approximating photon number resolving detectors using non-discriminating detectors. The model is simple in construction and employs very few physical resources. Despite its non-determinism, the proposal may nonetheless be suitable for use in some quantum optics experiments in which non-determinism can be tolerated. We analyse the detection scheme in the context of an optical implementation of the controlled-NOT gate, an inherently non-deterministic device. This allows the gate's success probability to be traded away for improved gate fidelity, assuming high efficiency detectors. The scheme is compared to two other proposals, both deterministic, for approximating discriminating detectors using non-discriminating detectors: the cascade and time division multiplexing schemes.
We present a scheme for non-deterministically approximating photon number resolving detectors using non-discriminating detectors. The model is simple in construction and employs very few physical resources. Despite its non-determinism, the proposal may nonetheless be suitable for use in some quantum optics experiments in which non-determinism can be tolerated. We analyse the detection scheme in the context of an optical implementation of the controlled-NOT gate, an inherently non-deterministic device. This allows the gate's success probability to be traded away for improved gate fidelity, assuming high efficiency detectors. The scheme is compared to two other proposals, both deterministic, for approximating discriminating detectors using non-discriminating detectors: the cascade and time division multiplexing schemes. © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Our approach to ultra-high-efficiency photon detection develops and extends a recent novel non-solid-state scheme for photo-detection based on atomic vapors. This approach is in principle capable of resolving the number of photons in a pulse, can be extended to non-destructive detection of photons, and most importantly is proposed to operate with single-photon detection efficiencies exceeding 99%, ideally without dark counts. Such a detector would have tremendous implications, e.g., for optical quantum information processing. The feasibility of operation of this approach at the desired level is studied theoretically and several promising physical systems are investigated.