Patent · US Active

Scalable photon number resolving photon detector

US11994426B1 · kind B1 · utility

1Cited by
84References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 13, 2020
Grant dateMay 28, 2024
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2042

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J2001/4473
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A photon counting device includes unit cells, a bias current source coupled to the unit cells, and a waveguide coupled to the unit cells. Each unit cell includes photodetector(s). Each photodetector includes superconducting component(s) and a transistor. The transistor includes a superconducting gate that is coupled in parallel with the photodetector(s), and a channel that is electrically isolated from the superconducting gate. For each unit cell, a photodetector is optically coupled to the waveguide. A superconducting component is configured to transition from the superconducting state to the non-superconducting state in response to a photon being incident upon the superconducting component while the superconducting component receives at least a portion of bias current output from the bias current source. The superconducting gate of the unit cell is configured to transition from the superconducting state to the non-superconducting state in response to the superconducting component transitioning to the non-superconducting state.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.