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  • Review Article
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Single-photon detectors for optical quantum information applications

Nature Photonics volume 3, pages 696–705 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in interest in new single-photon detector technologies. A major cause of this trend has undoubtedly been the push towards optical quantum information applications such as quantum key distribution. These new applications place extreme demands on detector performance that go beyond the capabilities of established single-photon detectors. There has been considerable effort to improve conventional photon-counting detectors and to transform new device concepts into workable technologies for optical quantum information applications. This Review aims to highlight the significant recent progress made in improving single-photon detector technologies, and the impact that these developments will have on quantum optics and quantum information science.

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Figure 1: Measurement of timing jitter.
Figure 2: Photon number resolution.
Figure 3: Established photon-counting technologies based on reverse-biased avalanche photodiodes.
Figure 4: Emerging single-photon detectors: a selection of promising technologies.

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  1. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance and the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, EH14 4AS, Edinburgh, UK

    Robert H. Hadfield

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Hadfield, R. Single-photon detectors for optical quantum information applications. Nature Photon 3, 696–705 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.230

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