Title :
Extending single-photon optimized superconducting transition edge sensors beyond the single-photon counting regime
Author :
Gerrits, T. ; Calkins, B. ; Tomlin, N. ; Lita, A.E. ; Migdall, A. ; Mirin, R.P. ; Nam, S.W.
Author_Institution :
Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Boulder, CO, USA
Abstract :
We illuminate a photon-number-resolving transition edge sensor with strong pulses of light containing up to 6.7 million photons (0.85 pJ per pulse). These bright pulses heat the sensor far beyond its transition edge into the normal resistance regime. We show that the sensor operates from the single-photon-counting regime to picowatt levels of light and that the detection noise is below shot-noise for up to 1000 photons.
Keywords :
photon counting; shot noise; superconducting device noise; superconducting photodetectors; bright pulses; detection noise; light pulses; normal resistance; photon-number-resolving transition edge sensor; picowatt level pulses; shot-noise; single-photon counting; single-photon optimized superconducting transition edge sensors; Detectors; Measurement uncertainty; Noise; Optical variables measurement; Photonics; Uncertainty;
Conference_Titel :
Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), 2012 Conference on
Conference_Location :
San Jose, CA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-1839-6
