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Quantum optics

Beyond single-photon counting

The ability to distinguish how many photons comprise a particular state of light leads to significant benefits in practical quantum information processing and quantum cryptography. Superconducting nanostructures provide an effective solution at telecom wavelengths.

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Figure 1: Implementations of a photon-number-counting detector.

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Sergienko, A. Beyond single-photon counting. Nature Photon 2, 268–269 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.59

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