arXiv subjects

Andrew D. Beyer

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew D. Beyer.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Non-classical microwave-optical photon pair generation with a chip-scale transducer

Modern computing and communication technologies such as supercomputers and the internet are based on optically connected networks of microwave frequency information processors. In recent years, an analogous architecture has emerged for quantum networks with optically distributed entanglement between remote superconducting quantum processors, a leading platform for quantum computing. Here we report an important milestone towards such networks by observing non-classical correlations between photons in an optical link and a superconducting electrical circuit. We generate such states of light through a spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process in a chip-scale piezo-optomechanical transducer. The non-classical nature of the emitted light is verified by observing anti-bunching in the microwave state conditioned on detection of an optical photon. Such a transducer can be readily connected to a superconducting quantum processor, and serve as a key building block for optical quantum networks of microwave frequency qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Large active-area superconducting microwire detector array with single-photon sensitivity in the near-infrared

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are the highest-performing technology for time-resolved single-photon counting from the UV to the near-infrared. The recent discovery of single-photon sensitivity in micrometer-scale superconducting wires is a promising pathway to explore for large active area devices with application to dark matter searches and fundamental physics experiments. We present 8-pixel $1 mm^2$ superconducting microwire single photon detectors (SMSPDs) with $1\,\mathrm{μm}$-wide wires fabricated from WSi and MoSi films of various stoichiometries using electron-beam and optical lithography. Devices made from all materials and fabrication techniques show saturated internal detection efficiency at 1064 nm in at least one pixel, and the best performing device made from silicon-rich WSi shows single-photon sensitivity in all 8 pixels and saturated internal detection efficiency in 6/8 pixels. This detector is the largest reported active-area SMSPD or SNSPD with near-IR sensitivity published to date, and the first report of an SMSPD array. By further optimizing the photolithography techniques presented in this work, a viable pathway exists to realize larger devices with $cm^2$-scale active area and beyond.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Improved heralded single-photon source with a photon-number-resolving superconducting nanowire detector

Deterministic generation of single photons is essential for many quantum information technologies. A bulk optical nonlinearity emitting a photon pair, where the measurement of one of the photons heralds the presence of the other, is commonly used with the caveat that the single-photon emission rate is constrained due to a trade-off between multiphoton events and pair emission rate. Using an efficient and low noise photon-number-resolving superconducting nanowire detector we herald, in real time, a single photon at telecommunication wavelength. We perform a second-order photon correlation $g^{2}(0)$ measurement of the signal mode conditioned on the measured photon number of the idler mode for various pump powers and demonstrate an improvement of a heralded single-photon source. We develop an analytical model using a phase-space formalism that encompasses all multiphoton effects and relevant imperfections, such as loss and multiple Schmidt modes. We perform a maximum-likelihood fit to test the agreement of the model to the data and extract the best-fit mean photon number $μ$ of the pair source for each pump power. A maximum reduction of $0.118 \pm 0.012$ in the photon $g^{2}(0)$ correlation function at $μ= 0.327 \pm 0.007$ is obtained, indicating a strong suppression of multiphoton emissions. For a fixed $g^{2}(0) = 7e-3$, we increase the single pair generation probability by 25%. Our experiment, built using fiber-coupled and off-the-shelf components, delineates a path to engineering ideal sources of single photons.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

High-speed detection of 1550 nm single photons with superconducting nanowire detectors

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors are a key technology for quantum information and science due to their high efficiency, low timing jitter, and low dark counts. In this work, we present a detector for single 1550 nm photons with up to 78% detection efficiency, timing jitter below 50 ps FWHM, 158 counts/s dark count rate - as well as a world-leading maximum count rate of 1.5 giga-counts/s at 3 dB compression. The PEACOQ detector (Performance-Enhanced Array for Counting Optical Quanta) comprises a linear array of 32 straight superconducting niobium nitride nanowires which span the mode of an optical fiber. This design supports high count rates with minimal penalties for detection efficiency and timing jitter. We show how these trade-offs can be mitigated by implementing independent read-out for each nanowire and by using a temporal walk correction technique to reduce count-rate dependent timing jitter. These detectors make quantum communication practical on a 10 GHz clock.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Time-walk and jitter correction in SNSPDs at high count rates

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a leading detector type for time correlated single photon counting, especially in the near-infrared. When operated at high count rates, SNSPDs exhibit increased timing jitter caused by internal device properties and features of the RF amplification chain. Variations in RF pulse height and shape lead to variations in the latency of timing measurements. To compensate for this, we demonstrate a calibration method that correlates delays in detection events with the time elapsed between pulses. The increase in jitter at high rates can be largely canceled in software by applying corrections derived from the calibration process. We demonstrate our method with a single-pixel tungsten silicide SNSPD and show it decreases high count rate jitter. The technique is especially effective at removing a long tail that appears in the instrument response function at high count rates. At a count rate of 11.4 MCounts/s we reduce the full width at one percent maximum level (FW1%M) by 45%. The method therefore enables certain quantum communication protocols that are rate-limited by the (FW1%M) metric to operate almost twice as fast. \c{opyright} 2022. All rights reserved.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Wideband Direct Detection Constraints on Hidden Photon Dark Matter with the QUALIPHIDE Experiment

We report direction detection constraints on the presence of hidden photon dark matter with masses between 20-30 ueV using a cryogenic emitter-receiver-amplifier spectroscopy setup designed as the first iteration of QUALIPHIDE (QUantum LImited PHotons In the Dark Experiment). A metallic dish sources conversion photons from hidden photon kinetic mixing onto a horn antenna which is coupled to a C-band kinetic inductance traveling wave parametric amplifier, providing for near quantum-limited noise performance. We demonstrate a first probing of the kinetic mixing parameter "chi" to just above 10^-12 for the majority of hidden photon masses in this region. These results not only represent stringent constraints on new dark matter parameter space but are also the first demonstrated use of wideband quantum-limited amplification for astroparticle applications

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Picosecond Synchronization of Photon Pairs through a Fiber Link between Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratories

We demonstrate a three-node quantum network for C-band photon pairs using 2 pairs of 59 km of deployed fiber between Fermi and Argonne National Laboratories. The C-band pairs are directed to nodes using a standard telecommunication switch and synchronized to picosecond-scale timing resolution using a coexisting O- or L-band optical clock distribution system. We measure a reduction of coincidence-to-accidental ratio (CAR) of the C-band pairs from 51 $\pm$ 2 to 5.3 $\pm$ 0.4 due to Raman scattering of the O-band clock pulses. Despite this reduction, the CAR is nevertheless suitable for quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Picosecond synchronization system for quantum networks

The operation of long-distance quantum networks requires photons to be synchronized and must account for length variations of quantum channels. We demonstrate a 200 MHz clock-rate fiber optic-based quantum network using off-the-shelf components combined with custom-made electronics and telecommunication C-band photons. The network is backed by a scalable and fully automated synchronization system with ps-scale timing resolution. Synchronization of the photons is achieved by distributing O-band-wavelength laser pulses between network nodes. Specifically, we distribute photon pairs between three nodes, and measure a reduction of coincidence-to-accidental ratio from 77 to only 42 when the synchronization system is enabled, which permits high-fidelity qubit transmission. Our demonstration sheds light on the role of noise in quantum communication and represents a key step in realizing deployed co-existing classical-quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Impedance-matched differential superconducting nanowire detectors

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are the highest performing photon-counting technology in the near-infrared (NIR). Due to delay-line effects, large area SNSPDs typically trade-off timing resolution and detection efficiency. Here, we introduce a detector design based on transmission line engineering and differential readout for device-level signal conditioning, enabling a high system detection efficiency and a low detector jitter, simultaneously. To make our differential detectors compatible with single-ended time taggers, we also engineer analog differential-to-single-ended readout electronics, with minimal impact on the system timing resolution. Our niobium nitride differential SNSPDs achieve $47.3\,\% \pm 2.4\,\%$ system detection efficiency and sub-$10\,\mathrm{ps}$ system jitter at $775\,\mathrm{nm}$, while at $1550\,\mathrm{nm}$ they achieve $71.1\,\% \pm 3.7\,\%$ system detection efficiency and $13.1\,\mathrm{ps} \pm 0.4\,\mathrm{ps}$ system jitter. These detectors also achieve sub-100 ps timing response at one one-hundredth maximum level, $30.7\,\mathrm{ps} \pm 0.4\,\mathrm{ps}$ at $775\,\mathrm{nm}$ and $47.6\,\mathrm{ps} \pm 0.4\,\mathrm{ps}$ at $1550\,\mathrm{nm}$, enabling time-correlated single-photon counting with high dynamic range response functions. Furthermore, thanks to the differential impedance-matched design, our detectors exhibit delay-line imaging capabilities and photon-number resolution. The properties and high-performance metrics achieved by our system make it a versatile photon-detection solution for many scientific applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2020

Teleportation Systems Towards a Quantum Internet

Quantum teleportation is essential for many quantum information technologies including long-distance quantum networks. Using fiber-coupled devices, including state-of-the-art low-noise superconducting nanowire single photon detectors and off-the-shelf optics, we achieve quantum teleportation of time-bin qubits at the telecommunication wavelength of 1536.5 nm. We measure teleportation fidelities of >=90% that are consistent with an analytical model of our system, which includes realistic imperfections. To demonstrate the compatibility of our setup with deployed quantum networks, we teleport qubits over 22 km of single-mode fiber while transmitting qubits over an additional 22 km of fiber. Our systems, which are compatible with emerging solid-state quantum devices, provide a realistic foundation for a high-fidelity quantum internet with practical devices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Demonstration of a Thermally-Coupled Row-Column SNSPD Imaging Array

While single-pixel superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) have demonstrated remarkable efficiency and timing performance from the UV to near-IR, scaling these devices to large imaging arrays remains challenging. Here, we propose a new SNSPD multiplexing system using thermal coupling and detection correlations between two photosensitive layers of an array. Using this architecture with the channels of one layer oriented in rows and the second layer in columns, we demonstrate imaging capability in 16-pixel arrays with accurate spot tracking at the few photon level. We also explore the performance tradeoffs of orienting the top layer nanowires parallel and perpendicular to the bottom layer. The thermally-coupled row-column scheme is readily able to scale to the kilopixel size with existing readout systems, and when combined with other multiplexing architectures, has the potential to enable megapixel scale SNSPD imaging arrays.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

Optically addressing single rare-earth ions in a nanophotonic cavity

We demonstrate optical probing of spectrally resolved single Nd rare-earth ions in yttrium orthovanadate. The ions are coupled to a photonic crystal resonator and show strong enhancement of the optical emission rate via the Purcell effect, resulting in near radiatively limited single photon emission. The measured high coupling cooperativity between a single photon and the ion allows for the observation of coherent optical Rabi oscillations. This could enable optically controlled spin qubits, quantum logic gates, and spin-photon interfaces for future quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detector with integrated impedance-matching taper

Conventional readout of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) sets an upper bound on the output voltage to be the product of the bias current and the load impedance, $I_\mathrm{B}\times Z_\mathrm{load}$, where $Z_\mathrm{load}$ is limited to 50 $Ω$ in standard r.f. electronics. Here, we break this limit by interfacing the 50 $Ω$ load and the SNSPD using an integrated superconducting transmission line taper. The taper is a transformer that effectively loads the SNSPD with high impedance without latching. It increases the amplitude of the detector output while preserving the fast rising edge. Using a taper with a starting width of 500 nm, we experimentally observed a 3.6$\times$ higher pulse amplitude, 3.7$\times$ faster slew rate, and 25.1 ps smaller timing jitter. The results match our numerical simulation, which incorporates both the hotspot dynamics in the SNSPD and the distributed nature in the transmission line taper. The taper studied here may become a useful tool to interface high-impedance superconducting nanowire devices to conventional low-impedance circuits.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Silicon Photonic Entangled Photon-Pair and Heralded Single Photon Generation with CAR $>$ 12,000 and $g^{(2)}(0)<$ 0.006

We report measurements of time-frequency entangled photon pairs and heralded single photons at 1550~nm wavelengths generated using a microring resonator pumped optically by a diode laser. Along with a high spectral brightness of pair generation, the conventional metrics used to describe performance, such as Coincidences-to-Accidentals Ratio (CAR), conditional self-correlation [$g^{(2)}(0)$], two-photon energy-time {F}ranson interferometric visibility etc. are shown to reach a high-performance regime not yet achieved by silicon photonics, and attained previously only by crystal, glass and fiber-based pair-generation devices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

UV superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with high efficiency, low noise, and 4 K operating temperature

For photon-counting applications at ultraviolet wavelengths, there are currently no detectors that combine high efficiency (> 50%), sub-nanosecond timing resolution, and sub-Hz dark count rates. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have seen success over the past decade for photon-counting applications in the near-infrared, but little work has been done to optimize SNSPDs for wavelengths below 400 nm. Here, we describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of UV SNSPDs operating at wavelengths between 250 and 370 nm. The detectors have active areas up to 56 $μ$m in diameter, 70 - 80% efficiency, timing resolution down to 60 ps FWHM, blindness to visible and infrared photons, and dark count rates of ~ 0.25 counts/hr for a 56 $μ$m diameter pixel. By using the amorphous superconductor MoSi, these UV SNSPDs are also able to operate at temperatures up to 4.2 K. These performance metrics make UV SNSPDs ideal for applications in trapped-ion quantum information processing, lidar studies of the upper atmosphere, UV fluorescent-lifetime imaging microscopy, and photon-starved UV astronomy.

physics.ins-det↗