Title :
Limitations on building single-photon-resolution detection devices
Author_Institution :
Quantum Comput. Technol. Group, California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA
Abstract :
Single-photon resolution (SPR) detectors can tell the difference between incoming wave packets of n and n+1 photons. Such devices are especially important for linear optical quantum computing with projective measurements. However, in this paper, I show that it is impossible to construct a photodetector with single-photon resolution when we are restricted to single-photon sources, linear optical elements, and projective measurements with standard (nonphoton-number discriminating) photodetectors. These devices include SPR detectors that sometimes fail to distinguish one- and two-photon inputs, but at the same time indicate this failure. PACS numbers: 42.79.Ta, 03.67.Hk, 42.79.Gn.
Keywords :
optical communication; optical elements; photodetectors; photon counting; quantum communication; quantum computing; quantum optics; SPR detectors; detection devices; incoming wavepackets; linear optical elements; linear optical quantum computing; nonphoton-number discriminating photodetectors; projective measurements; single photon resolution detectors; single photon sources; standard photodetectors; Measurement standards; Microcavities; Optical computing; Optical detectors; Optical devices; Photodetectors; Picture archiving and communication systems; Propulsion; Quantum computing; Quantum dots;
Journal_Title :
Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JSTQE.2003.820909
