Preprint article · Journal article
Single photon detection by cavity-assisted all-optical gain
We consider the free-carrier dispersion effect in a semiconductor nanocavity in the limit of discrete photoexcited electron-hole pairs. This analysis reveals the possibility of ultrafast, incoherent transduction and gain from a single photon signal to a strong coherent probe field. Homodyne detection of the displaced probe field enables an all-optical method for room-temperature, photon-number-resolving single photon detection.
In particular, we estimate that a single photon absorbed within a silicon nanocavity can, within tens of picoseconds, be detected with ∼99% efficiency and a dark count rate on the order of kilohertz assuming a mode volume Veff∼10−2 (λ/nSi)3 for a 4.5-μm probe wavelength and a loaded quality factor Q on the order of 104.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2019 |
Pages: | 7 |
ISSN: | 1550235x and 10980121 |
Types: | Preprint article and Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevB.99.205303 |
ORCIDs: | Heuck, Mikkel |