Single-Photon Sources and Detectors | NIST

Xu Hai, Lijun Ma, Oliver Slattery +1 more

Sae Woo Nam

Martin J. Stevens, Burm Baek, Richard P. Mirin +2 more

John Rarity, Stephen C. Kitson, Paul R. Tapster

Thomas Gerrits

We will present our current efforts on single photon quantum metrology using high-efficiency superconducting detectors and high-efficiency single-photon sources based on spontaneous parametric downconversion. Optical power measurements based on single photon counting could establish a quantum standard for optical power calibration in the future. At NIST we are pursuing the development of single photon sources and single photon detectors for metrology, quantum and classical applications. As part of these efforts, we are pursuing the establishment of a measurement service for the calibration of single photon detectors. We present how our calibration is tied to the calibration of our transfer standard optical fiber power meters. Using the beamsplitter method, we have implemented a fiber-coupled and free-space measurement system. Also, we have developed testbeds and measurement protocols for the characterization of single photon sources and single photon detectors. We will review several methods, which allow for the characterization of the spatial and spectral degree of freedom in spontaneous parametric downconversion.

Joshua C. Bienfang, Jingyun Fan, Alan L. Migdall +1 more

footing. The character of light itself was described by Descartes in the 17th century as \pressure that was transmitted through space from a source to an eye (a detector). This idea was later developed by Huygens and Hooke into the wave theory of light. At about the same time, Gassendi put forward the contravening notion that light was a particle, an idea embraced and developed further by Newton. The diering perspectives of light as a particle versus a wave