Applications of Single-Photon Detector
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optoelectronics and Optical Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3548
Special Issue Editors
Interests: single photon avalanche diode; single photon emitter; nanostructure
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Single-photon detectors were invented approximately 90 years ago with the arrival of the photomultiplier tube. A single-photon detector with ultimate sensitivity is capable of registering photons, emerging with an indispensable role for extensive applications, including optical quantum information and communication, laser ranging, astrophysics, and high-energy physics. There are numerous material systems used for single-photon detection, generally: photomultipliers, semiconductors, and superconductors. The extension of single-photon detection to mid-infrared further facilitates the applications in astronomy, LIDAR, dark matter searches, and the fundamental study of fast molecular dynamics and chemistry. A set of performance tradeoffs or detector types among all material systems should be selected based on the needs of particular applications.
This Special Issue invites manuscripts that introduce the recent advances in “Single-Photon Detectors and Their Applications”, covering the wavelength from visible to mid-infrared. All theoretical, numerical, and experimental papers are accepted. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Solid-state-based single-photon detector: physics, measurement, and applications;
- Superconductor-based single-photon detector: physics, measurement, and applications;
- Spatial multiplexing single-photon detector;
- Hybrid detection system;
- Mid-infrared single-photon detector;
- Single-photon detection in existing and new categories of applications;
- Photon number resolving.
Dr. Yi-Shan Lee
Dr. Jau-Yang Wu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- solid-state
- single-photon detector
- superconductor
- optical quantum information and communication
- laser ranging
- astrophysics
- high-energy physics
- dark matter searches
- molecular dynamic
- spatial multiplexing
- photon number resolving
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Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Photon Number Resolving Detection with Highly Efficient InGaAs/InAlAs Single Photon Avalanche Diode
Authors: Yi-Shan Lee; Tzu-Yang Chen; Yu-Ju Chen; Wei-Hong Kan; Xue-Wen Liu; Jin-Wei Shi
Affiliation: Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, 30013
Abstract: Photon number-resolving detectors are in high demand for applications in photonic quantum technology. In this study, we demonstrate the photon number-resolving capabilities of our self-developed, highly efficient InGaAs/InAlAs single-photon avalanche diode. We achieved intrinsic photon-number resolving by harnessing the high multiplication gain generated through an avalanche process in the InAlAs multiplication layer. With a maximum single photon detection efficiency of 46 %, we were able to distinguish photon number states up to 5 from the signal probability distribution without encountering avalanche saturation that could otherwise limit the capability of photon number resolving. We reasonably anticipate that the photon number resolving accuracy and capability can be further improved once the noise issue in such InGaAs/InAlAs SPADs is carefully managed.
