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Applied Physics Letters

Single-photon detector based on absorption in waveguide quantum electrodynamics

Yan‐Yan Song, Yao Zang, Yunning Lu, Xiao-San Ma, Mu-Tian Cheng

Published Apr 13, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Single-photon detection plays important roles in implementing desired quantum information processing. In this work, we propose a single itinerant photon detector based on absorption by two interacting atoms coupling to a waveguide, which can work in the microwave regime. Both the cases of giant and small atoms are considered. Each atom is modeled as a three-level system, with only one transition coupling to the waveguide. Our analysis reveals that, for a single atom coupled to the waveguide, the maximum detection probability is intrinsically limited to 0.5. This limit, however, can be lifted under perfectly chiral coupling, where unit detection probability becomes achievable. For the non-chiral case, we show that when a giant molecule consisting of two giant atoms with direct interaction couples to the waveguide, the single-photon detection probability can reach the ideal value of 1. Furthermore, we extend the model to the regime of small atoms and show that perfect single-photon detection remains attainable by appropriately tuning the direct coupling strength and the interatomic separation. These results provide a feasible route toward high-efficiency microwave single-photon detection based on engineered atom-waveguide interactions.

DOI
10.1063/5.0294347

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Single-photon detection plays important roles in implementing desired quantum information processing. In this work, we propose a single itinerant photon detector based on absorption by two interacting atoms coupling to a waveguide, which can work in the microwave regime. Both the cases of giant and small atoms are considered. Each atom is modeled as a three-level system, with only one transition coupling to the waveguide. Our analysis reveals that, for a single atom coupled to the waveguide, the maximum detection probability is intrinsically limited to 0.5. This limit, however, can be lifted under perfectly chiral coupling, where unit detection probability becomes achievable. For the non-chiral case, we show that when a giant molecule consisting of two giant atoms with direct interaction couples to the waveguide, the single-photon detection probability can reach the ideal value of 1. Furthermore, we extend the model to the regime of small atoms and show that perfect single-photon detection remains attainable by appropriately tuning the direct coupling strength and the interatomic separation. These results provide a feasible route toward high-efficiency microwave single-photon detection based on engineered atom-waveguide interactions.
Microwave single-photon detection is one of the critical tasks for the implementation of the desired microwave quantum information processing. Given the detection efficiency of the demonstrated microwave single-photon detector is still very limited, here, we propose a nonreciprocity detector array to implement high-efficiency detection of a single itinerant microwave photon, transported along a one-dimensional waveguide. We show that different from the reciprocity array with more than 20 atomic detectors [Romero et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 173602 (2009)] for ideal detection, the nonreciprocity array with just three atomic detectors is sufficient to achieve deterministic detection (i.e., the achievable probability approaches 100100%100) of a single itinerant microwave photon. Specifically, we design an array with a few current-biased Josephson junctions individually coupled to a common microwave transmission line and then discuss its feasibility.
Photon detector is one of the key units in the integrated optical devices. Due to the weak atom-photon interaction, the detection efficiency of a single photon by a bare atom (as a photon detector aside the waveguide) is relatively low (the most reachable value is shown as 5050%50, which has being approached experimentally). In order to overcome such a limit, a pair of spatially separated two-level atoms (the photon lenses) with adjustable inflection and transmission coefficients of the photon are introduced to generate an atomic cavity, in which the detected probability of the waveguide photon by the single detector can be significantly enhanced (even reach to 100100%100 under certain conditions). The proposal is demonstrated specifically by a circuit QED system for highly effective detection of a single microwave photon.
In order to apply all ideas from quantum optics to the field of quantum circuits, one of the missing ingredients is a high-efficiency single-photon detector. In this work we propose a design for such a device which successfully reaches 100% efficiency with only one absorber. Our photon detector consists of a three-level system (a phase qubit) coupled to a semi-infinite one-dimensional waveguide (a microwave transmission line) which performs highly efficient photodetection in a simplified manner as compared to previous proposals. Using the tools of quantum optics we extensively study the scattering properties of realistic wave packets against this device, thereby computing the efficiency of the detector. We find that the detector has many operating modes, can detect detuned photons, is robust against design imperfections, and can be made broadband by using more than one absorbing element in the design. Many of these ideas could be translated to other single-mode photonic or plasmonic waveguides interacting with three-level atoms or quantum dots.
Single-photon detection is a requisite technique in quantum-optics experiments in both the optical and the microwave domains. However, the energy of microwave quanta are four to five orders of magnitude less than their optical counterpart, making the efficient detection of single microwave photons extremely challenging. Here we demonstrate the detection of a single microwave photon propagating through a waveguide. The detector is implemented with an impedance-matched artificial Λ system comprising the dressed states of a driven superconducting qubit coupled to a microwave resonator. Each signal photon deterministically induces a Raman transition in the Λ system and excites the qubit. The subsequent dispersive readout of the qubit produces a discrete 'click'. We attain a high single-photon-detection efficiency of 0.66±0.06 with a low dark-count probability of 0.014±0.001 and a reset time of ∼400 ns. This detector can be exploited for various applications in quantum sensing, quantum communication and quantum information processing.
In this work, the single photon scattering due to a giant atom coupled with a pair of waveguides is investigated theoretically. Using the real-space Hamiltonian, four scattering amplitudes are obtained, and the single photon routing properties are studied. Calculations reveal that the single photon routing properties are strongly dependent on the size of the giant atom. The possible physical mechanism is also discussed. To improve routing efficiency, the configuration where one waveguide is terminated is further studied. The calculated results indicate that an incident photon can be transferred to the other waveguide with unit efficiency by choosing the appropriate configuration for a fixed size of the giant atom. Our results may be used in quantum information processing and design quantum devices at single-photon level.
The resonant-cavity-enhanced (RCE) technique is an important approach to increasing the detection efficiency (DE) of typical free-space coupling photons. Here, we show that such a technique can also be utilized to increase the detection probability (DP) of a single waveguide-coupled photon. Based on a fully quantum mechanical theory in real space, we exactly calculated the absorption probability of a single photon for a two-level detector next to the waveguide. We find that the DP of the waveguide photon for the detector in a waveguide-coupled ring cavity is significantly higher than that for the bare detector directly coupled to the photon. Physically, the DP of the photon for the bare detector next to the waveguide is always limited by the finite transmission and reflection probabilities of the photon. The cavity technique is used to store the photon and thus increase its DP. The feasibility of the proposal with current integrated optical devices is then discussed.