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Timon Schapeler

Publications and source records attributed to Timon Schapeler.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

On the temperature dependence of the optical band gap in the material system of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate

Lithium niobate and lithium tantalate see widespread use in optics and electronics, and are increasingly used for cryogenic applications. Despite their broad deployment, their optical band gap and its relation to the crystal stoichiometry are not well characterised as a function of temperature. In this work, we study the optical absorption properties of congruent, stoichiometric, MgO-doped and Er-doped lithium niobate as well as congruent lithium tantalate across the temperature range between 7~K and 1000~K by means of optical transmission spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that the difference of the optical band gap typically observed at room temperature between different stoichiometries is not primarily attributable to the intrinsic electronic structure, but rather to different electron-phonon couplings and the average phonon energies. Additionally, we exemplarily study the temperature shift of the 523 nm absorption line in Er-doped lithium niobate due to the increased interest in optically active dopants. To facilitate future analyses, we present the open-source software suite PhoQS-Treat (Tauc Regression Edge Analysis Tool), which enables automated Tauc regressions alongside additional analytical capabilities. This work advances the development of high-performance lithium niobate-based devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2026

Macroscopic photon counting beating the Poisson noise limit

Photon counting is a cornerstone of quantum optics. Here, we demonstrate precisely counting from 0 to over 9000 photons, beating the Poisson noise limit by at least $4.1~\mathrm{dB}$ across this range. We achieve sub-single-photon precision up to 276 photons per pulse. To do so, we multiplex eight intrinsically photon-number-resolving superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors across 128 temporal modes. We use a model-informed characterization of each of the 1024 detection bins, for optimal precision. We perform quantum detector tomography to reconstruct the positive operator valued measures (POVMs) of the complete device, which consists of $1.38\cdot10^8$ matrix elements. At the repetition rate of our experiment of $80~\mathrm{kHz}$, we can precisely count photons corresponding to an optical power of approximately $71~\mathrm{pW}$, bridging the gap from single-photon measurements to high-sensitivity optical power meters. A photon-number-resolving detector of this size, and the tools used to analyze it, will become increasingly important to characterize large quantum states, as well as tasks in precision metrology and optical power standards.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2026

Learning to detect optical nonclassicality

Nonclassicality, defined in the quantum optical sense, serves as a resource for photon-based quantum technologies. Therefore, certifying the nonclassicality of a quantum state is crucial for gauging its potential for quantum advantage. However, traditional nonclassicality witnesses that assume perfect knowledge of the witness observables often fail in realistic scenarios with limited statistics and finite-resolution photon detectors. Furthermore, these witnesses do not exploit the fact that certain states are unlikely to be observed in a given experiment. Here, we train a variational model to distinguish classical from nonclassical states using finitely many measurement samples of multimode quantum states that are probed with different photon-number-resolving detection schemes. The learned decision rule is then an indicator of nonclassicality, tailored to a given set of physically relevant states. Our approach is both data-driven and interpretable in the sense that the learned analytical decision rule can be extracted. Training the model on experimental data measured with (i) a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector and (ii) a time-bin multiplexing detection scheme demonstrates the versatility of the approach, paving the way for efficient nonclassicality detection.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

Benchmarking Gaussian and non-Gaussian input states with a hybrid sampling platform

The original boson sampling paradigm-consisting of multiple single-photon input states, a large interferometer, and multi-channel click detection-was originally proposed as a photonic route to quantum computational advantage. Its non-Gaussian resources, essential for outperforming any classical system, are provided by single-photon inputs and click detection. Yet the drive toward larger experiments has led to the replacement of experimentally demanding single-photon sources with Gaussian states, thereby diminishing the available non-Gaussianity-a critical quantum resource. As the community broadens its focus from the initial sampling task to possible real-world applications, it becomes crucial to quantify the performance cost associated with reducing non-Gaussian resources and to benchmark sampling platforms that employ different input states. To address this need, we introduce the Paderborn Quantum Sampler (PaQS), a hybrid platform capable of performing sampling experiments with eight Gaussian or non-Gaussian input states in a 12-mode interferometer within a single experimental run. This architecture enables direct, side-by-side benchmarking of distinct sampling regimes under otherwise identical conditions. By employing a semi-device-independent framework, offering certification that does not rely on prior knowledge of the interferometer or the input states, we verify that the observed data cannot be reproduced by any classical model-a prerequisite for demonstrating quantum advantage. Applying this framework, we observe clear performance gains arising from non-Gaussian input states.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

Practical considerations for assignment of photon numbers with SNSPDs

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) can enable photon-number resolution (PNR) based on accurate measurements of the detector's response time to few-photon optical pulses. In this work we investigate the impact of the optical pulse shape and duration on the accuracy of this method. We find that Gaussian temporal pulse shapes yield cleaner arrival-time histograms, and thus more accurate PNR, compared to bandpass-filtered pulses of equal bandwidth. For low system jitter and an optical pulse duration comparable to the other jitter contributions, photon numbers can be discriminated in our system with a commercial SNSPD. At 60 ps optical pulse duration, photon-number discrimination is significantly reduced. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of using the correct arrival-time histogram model when analyzing photon-number assignment. Using exponentially-modified Gaussian (EMG) distributions, instead of the commonly used Gaussian distributions, we can more accurately determine photon-number misidentification probabilities. Finally, we reconstruct the positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) of the detector, revealing sharp features which indicate the intrinsic PNR capabilities.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

Jitter in photon-number-resolved detection by superconducting nanowires

By analyzing the physics of multi-photon absorption in superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), we identify physical components of jitter. From this, we formulate a quantitative physical model of the multi-photon detector response which combines local detection mechanism and local fluctuations (hotspot formation and intrinsic jitter) with thermoelectric dynamics of resistive domains. Our model provides an excellent description of the arrival-time histogram of a commercial SNSPD across several orders of magnitude, both in arrival-time probability and across mean photon number. This is achieved with just three fitting parameters: the scaling of the mean arrival time of voltage response pulses, as well as the Gaussian and exponential jitter components. Our findings have important implications for photon-number-resolving detector design, as well as applications requiring low jitter such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR).

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

Harnessing of temporal dispersion for integrated pump filtering in spontaneous heralded single-photon generation processes

Cointegration of heralded single-photon generation and on-chip detection requires the ability to differentiate between pump light and single photons. We explored the dispersion-induced temporal separation of optical pulses to reach this goal. Our method exploits the distinct group velocities of pump light and single photons, as well as single-photon detectors with high timing resolution. We simulate the propagation for photon pair generation by spontaneous parametric down-conversion in titanium in-diffused waveguides in lithium niobate and thin-film lithium niobate, and spontaneous four-wave mixing in silicon on insulator and silicon nitride. For the different integration platforms, we show the propagation distance required to sufficiently distinguish between pump and single photons for different timing resolutions, and demonstrate that this should be feasible with current superconducting nanowire single-photon detector technologies. Finally, we experimentally simulate our approach using the dispersion in the optical fiber.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2024

Scalable quantum detector tomography by high-performance computing

At large scales, quantum systems may become advantageous over their classical counterparts at performing certain tasks. Developing tools to analyse these systems at the relevant scales, in a manner consistent with quantum mechanics, is therefore critical to benchmarking performance and characterising their operation. While classical computational approaches cannot perform like-for-like computations of quantum systems beyond a certain scale, classical high-performance computing (HPC) may nevertheless be useful for precisely these characterisation and certification tasks. By developing open-source customised algorithms using high-performance computing, we perform quantum tomography on a megascale quantum photonic detector covering a Hilbert space of $10^6$. This requires finding $10^8$ elements of the matrix corresponding to the positive operator valued measure (POVM), the quantum description of the detector, and is achieved in minutes of computation time. Moreover, by exploiting the structure of the problem, we achieve highly efficient parallel scaling, paving the way for quantum objects up to a system size of $10^{12}$ elements to be reconstructed using this method. In general, this shows that a consistent quantum mechanical description of quantum phenomena is applicable at everyday scales. More concretely, this enables the reconstruction of large-scale quantum sources, processes and detectors used in computation and sampling tasks, which may be necessary to prove their nonclassical character or quantum computational advantage.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

How well can superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors resolve photon number?

We apply principal component analysis (PCA) to a set of electrical output signals from a commercially available superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) to investigate their photon-number-resolving capability. We find that the rising edge as well as the amplitude of the electrical signal have the most dependence on photon number. Accurately measuring the rising edge while simultaneously measuring the voltage of the pulse amplitude maximizes the photon-number resolution of SNSPDs. Using an optimal basis of principle components, we show unambiguous discrimination between one- and two-photon events, as well as partial resolution up to five photons. This expands the use-case of SNSPDs to photon-counting experiments, without the need of detector multiplexing architectures.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

Low-noise Balanced Homodyne Detection with Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have been widely used to study the discrete nature of quantum states of light in the form of photon-counting experiments. We show that SNSPDs can also be used to study continuous variables of optical quantum states by performing homodyne detection at a bandwidth of $400~\mathrm{kHz}$. By measuring the interference of a continuous-wave field of a local oscillator with the field of the vacuum state using two SNSPDs, we show that the variance of the difference in count rates is linearly proportional to the photon flux of the local oscillator over almost five orders of magnitude. The resulting shot-noise clearance of $(46.0\pm1.1)~\mathrm{dB}$ is the highest reported clearance for a balanced optical homodyne detector, demonstrating their potential for measuring highly squeezed states in the continuous-wave regime. In addition, we measured a $\mathrm{CMRR}=22.4~\mathrm{dB}$. From the joint click counting statistics, we also measure the phase-dependent quadrature of a weak coherent state to demonstrate our device's functionality as a homodyne detector.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

Degenerate Photons from a Cryogenic Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion Source

We demonstrate the generation of degenerate photon pairs from spontaneous parametric down-conversion in titanium in-diffused waveguides in lithium niobate at cryogenic temperatures. Since the phase-matching cannot be temperature tuned inside a cryostat, we rely on a precise empirical model of the refractive indices when fabricating a fixed poling period. We design the phase-matching properties of our periodic poling to enable signal and idler photons at (1559.3 $\pm$ 0.6) nm, and characterize the indistinguishability of our photons by performing a Hong-Ou-Mandel interference measurement. Despite the effects of photorefraction and pyroelectricity, which can locally alter the phase-matching, we achieve cryogenic indistinguishable photons within 1.5 nm to our design wavelength. Our results verify sufficient understanding and control of the cryogenic nonlinear process, which has wider implications when combining quasi-phase-matched nonlinear optical processes with other cryogenic photonic quantum technologies, such as superconducting detectors.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2022

Information extraction in photon-counting experiments

We demonstrate a comparison of different multiplexing architectures based on quantum detector tomography. Using the purity of their measurement outcomes, we gain insight about the photon-number resolving power of the devices. Further, we calculate the information each measurement outcome can extract out of a Hilbert space with given dimension. Our work confirms that more multiplexing outcomes enable higher photon-number resolving power; however, the splitting between those outcomes must be optimized as well.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2021

Quantum detector tomography of a high dynamic-range superconducting nanowire single-photon detector

We demonstrate and verify quantum detector tomography of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) in a multiplexing scheme which permits measurement of up to 71000 photons per input pulse. We reconstruct the positive operator valued measure (POVM) of this device in the low photon-number regime, and use the extracted parameters to show the POVMs spanning the whole dynamic range of the device. We verify this by finding the mean photon number of a bright state. Our work shows that a reliable quantum description of large-scale SNSPD devices is possible, and should be applicable to other multiplexing configurations.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2020

Quantum detector tomography of a 2x2 multi-pixel array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors

We demonstrate quantum detector tomography of a commercial 2x2 array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. We show that detector-specific figures of merit including efficiency, dark-count and cross-talk probabilities can be directly extracted, without recourse to the underlying detector physics. These figures of merit are directly identified from just four elements of the reconstructed positive operator valued measure (POVM) of the device. We show that the values for efficiency and dark-count probability extracted by detector tomography show excellent agreement with independent measurements of these quantities, and we provide an intuitive operational definition for cross-talk probability. Finally, we show that parameters required for the reconstruction must be carefully chosen to avoid oversmoothing the data.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2019

Single-channel electronic readout of a multipixel superconducting nanowire single photon detector

We present a time-over-threshold readout technique to count the number of activated pixels from an array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs). This technique maintains the intrinsic timing jitter of the individual pixels, places no additional heatload on the cryostat, and retains the intrinsic count rate of the time-tagger. We demonstrate proof-of-principle operation with respect to a four-pixel device. Furthermore, we show that, given some permissible error threshold, the number of pixels that can be reliably read out scales linearly with the intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio of the individual pixel response.

physics.ins-det↗