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IEEE Access

Low Noise Balanced Homodyne Detector for Quantum Noise Measurement

Shubo Lang, Shicheng Zhang, Xiaolin Li, Yueping Niu, Shangqing Gong

Published Jan 1, 2022• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The research of quantum noise in the interaction of laser and atoms plays a critical role in quantum optical experiments. The measurement of quantum noise is mainly based on the balanced homodyne detection method. Here, we reported a balanced homodyne detector with low noise, high gain, and high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) at the wavelength of 795 nm. By optimizing the selection of components and printed circuit board (PCB) layout, a minimum electronic noise of −96.7 dBm is obtained. Over the range of 1 MHz to 5 MHz, we get a flat CMRR above 59 dB and a linear gain regime, which can enable a shot noise measurement with the laser power of$100~\mu \text{w}$. The developed detector can be used in quantum coherent experiments with a weak probe laser of power down to tens of microwatts.

DOI
10.1109/access.2022.3156094

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The research of quantum noise in the interaction of laser and atoms plays a critical role in quantum optical experiments. The measurement of quantum noise is mainly based on the balanced homodyne detection method. Here, we reported a balanced homodyne detector with low noise, high gain, and high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) at the wavelength of 795 nm. By optimizing the selection of components and printed circuit board (PCB) layout, a minimum electronic noise of −96.7 dBm is obtained. Over the range of 1 MHz to 5 MHz, we get a flat CMRR above 59 dB and a linear gain regime, which can enable a shot noise measurement with the laser power of100 μw100~\mu \text{w}100 μw. The developed detector can be used in quantum coherent experiments with a weak probe laser of power down to tens of microwatts.
Squeezing-based quantum metrology has been extensively applied in the field of precision measurement. Performance characteristics of squeezed light are obtained by a balanced homodyne detector. Here, we report a large dynamic range balanced homodyne detector with low-noise and high-signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) for broadband squeezed light measurement. We perform a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the SNR in a wide bandwidth and experimentally analyze the important printed circuit board (PCB) layout and electronic components. Consequently, in the 100 MHz frequency band, the SNR and common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) rise over 12.6 dB and 55 dB, respectively, and the electronic noise is suppressed below -90 dB. The directly observed squeezing level at 1550 nm with the specified detector is 11.8 dB at 2 MHz and 3.1 dB at 100 MHz.
We report a kind of low-noise,broadband photo-detector that can be applied in the quantum optics experiments.Based on the proper photo-diode,sampling resistor,feedback resistor and capacity were selected,a low-noise,broadband photo-detector was designed and fabricated.The photo-detector can be used to detect the quantum noise with the band-width of 2-50 MHz and the incident power of up to 15 mW.It can also be applied in the quantum optics experiments such as balance detectors,homodyne detectors and so on.A pair of identical photo-detectors with the band-width of 2-31 MHz and Common Mode Rejection Ratio of 30 dB was used as balance detectors to measure the intensity noise of white light,cw single frequency 1064 nm laser and 1550 nm laser.
Vacuum fluctuation at audio frequencies is very important and interesting in many research fields, such as the gravitational wave detection, ultra-weak magnetic field measurement, and the research of quantum metrology, etc. Since the generation of squeezed light in 1985, most of the squeezed light have been generated and measured at radio frequencies (～MHz) as there has not been much technical noise at higher frequencies. In the Michelson-interferometer-based gravitational wave detection, the detection band has frequencies from a few to tens of thousands Hz. Measuring vacuum noise at such low frequencies is a challenge since we have to stabilize and control all the audio noises and the interferences from a variety of mechanical and electronic noises, therefore a very high classical noise suppression is needed when the measurement time increases. In order to measure the squeezed light of low frequencies, the standard vacuum noise at audio frequencies must be measured. In this paper, a balanced homodyne detection system for measuring the low-frequency quantum vacuum noises is reported. It is not trivial to extend the detected frequency to very low analysis frequencies. Through a self-made self-subtraction balanced homodyne configuration, which can eliminate the DC component of each photocurrent from the photodiode and the classical common-mode technical noise, the standard vacuum noise has been detected. The linearity of the vacuum noise power has been validated by varying the local oscillator power, showing that the saturation power of light incidence is about 3.2 mW. When the incident-light power is 400 W, the standard vacuum noise is 11 dB higher than the electronic noise at 80 Hz. In the regime of about 80 Hz to 400 kHz, the linearity of the standard noise power as a function of incident laser power is verified. However, when the measurement is carried out at even lower frequencies, for example, 50 Hz, we may encounter some excess and non-stationary noises and find that the measured noise power is not proportional to the incident light power any more. These non-stationary noises are the main technical obstacle at low frequencies. The average common mode rejection ratio in the test frequency range from 10 Hz to 400 kHz is 55 dB and its maximum 63 dB at 100 Hz is obtained, implying a high suppression of the technical noise. This self-made homodyne vacuum noise detector can be widely used for precision measurement in quantum metrology and quantum optics.
A pulsed, balanced homodyne detector has been developed for precise measurement of the electric field quadratures of pulsed optical quantum states. A high level of common mode suppression (>85 dB) and low electronic noise (730 electrons per pulse) provide a signal-to-noise ratio of 14 dB for measurement of the quantum noise of individual pulses. Measurements at repetition rates as high as 1 MHz are possible. As a test, quantum tomography of the coherent state was performed, and the Wigner function and the density matrix were reconstructed with 99.5% fidelity. The detection system can be used for ultrarsensitive balanced detection in cw mode, e.g., for weak absorption measurements.
In this paper, a model for simulating the shot noise power and the electronic noise power of a balanced homodyne detector (BHD) using cascaded low noise amplifiers (LNAs) is presented. Moreover, the factors influencing the enhancement of BHD gain flatness are analyzed. Based on these theories, a BHD with a large clearance between shot noise and electronic noise, along with a flat broadband frequency response, is designed using LNAs and an optimized printed circuit board design. According to the experimental measurements, the bandwidth for 1 dB flatness reaches 1.4 GHz with the -3 dB bandwidth extending up to 1.55 GHz. With a 4 mW optical signal input, a signal-to-noise ratio of 12 dB is obtained at 1 GHz. The BHD exhibits excellent linearity for shot noise output up to an 8 mW optical signal input and a tested common mode rejection ratio of 63 dB. This developed BHD is well-suited for applications in high-speed continuous variable quantum key distribution and quantum random number generation.