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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Concept of quantum timing jitter and non-Markovian limits in single photon detection

Li‐Ping Yang, Hong X. Tang, Zubin Jacob

Published Jan 1, 2018• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose the concept of quantum timing jitter in single-photon detection, based on the observation of a finite rise time in the quantum probabilistic signal transduction (absorption). We place a fundamental limit on this quantum jitter, which is governed by the bandwidth of the field-detector interaction spectrum. We also shed light on the fundamental differences between linear and nonlinear detector outputs for single photon Fock state vs. coherent state pulses.

DOI
10.1364/cleo_qels.2018.fw3f.4

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We propose the concept of quantum timing jitter in single-photon detection, based on the observation of a finite rise time in the quantum probabilistic signal transduction (absorption). We place a fundamental limit on this quantum jitter, which is governed by the bandwidth of the field-detector interaction spectrum. We also shed light on the fundamental differences between linear and nonlinear detector outputs for single photon Fock state vs. coherent state pulses.
Single atoms form a model system for understanding the limits of single-photon detection. Here, we develop a non-Markovian theory of single-photon absorption by a two-level atom to place limits on the absorption (transduction) time. We show the existence of a finite rise time in the probability of excitation of the atom during the absorption event which is infinitely fast in previous Markov theories. This rise time is governed by the bandwidth of the atom-field interaction spectrum and leads to a fundamental jitter in time stamping the absorption event. Our theoretical framework captures both the weak and strong atom-field coupling regimes and sheds light on the spectral matching between the interaction bandwidth and single-photon Fock state pulse spectrum. Our work opens questions whether such jitter in the absorption event can be observed in a multimode realistic single-photon detector. Finally, we also shed light on the fundamental differences between linear and nonlinear detector outputs for single-photon Fock-state vs coherent-state pulses.
We analyze the origin of the intrinsic timing jitter in superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors in terms of fluctuations in the latency of the detector response, which is determined by the microscopic physics of the photon-detection process. We demonstrate that fluctuations in the physical parameters, which determine the latency, give rise to the intrinsic timing jitter. We develop a general description of latency by introducing the explicit time dependence of the internal detection efficiency. By considering the dynamic Fano fluctuations together with static spatial inhomogeneities, we study the details of the connection between latency and timing jitter. We develop both a simple phenomenological model and a more general microscopic model of detector latency and timing jitter based on the solution of the generalized time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations for the 1D hotbelt geometry. While the analytical model is sufficient for qualitative interpretation of recent data, the general approach establishes the framework for a more quantitative analysis of detector latency and the fundamental limits of intrinsic timing jitter. These theoretical advances can be used to interpret the results of recent experiments measuring the dependence of detection latency and timing jitter on photon energy to the few-picosecond level.
In the context of ultrafast quantum communication and random number generation, detection-timing jitter represents a strong limitation because it can introduce major time-tagging errors and affect the quality of time-correlated photon counting or quantum state engineering. Despite their importance in emerging photonic quantum technologies, no detector model including such effects has been developed so far. We propose here an operational theoretical model based on positive operator-valued measurements density formalism that is able to explicitly quantify the effect of timing jitter for a typical class of single-photon detector. We apply our model to some common experimental situations.
Single-photon detectors have achieved impressive performance and have led to a number of new scientific discoveries and technological applications. Existing models of photodetectors are semiclassical in that the field-matter interaction is treated perturbatively and time-separated from physical processes in the absorbing matter. An open question is whether a fully quantum detector, whereby the optical field, the optical absorption, and the amplification are considered as one quantum system, could have improved performance. Here we develop a theoretical model of such photodetectors and employ simulations to reveal the critical role played by quantum coherence and amplification backaction in dictating the performance. We show that coherence and backaction lead to trade-offs between detector metrics and also determine optimal system designs through control of the quantum-classical interface. Importantly, we establish the design parameters that result in a ideal photodetector with 100% efficiency, no dark counts, and minimal jitter, thus paving the route for next-generation detectors.