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Sgobba F, Andrisani A, Santamaria Amato L. Photon Phase Delay Sensing with Sub-Attosecond Uncertainty. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2202. [PMID: 38610413 PMCID: PMC11014027 DOI: 10.3390/s24072202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The application of statistical estimation theory to Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry led to enticing results in terms of the detection limit for photon reciprocal delay and polarisation measurement. In the following paper, a fully fibre-coupled setup operating in the telecom wavelength region proves to achieve, for the first time, in common-path Hong-Ou-Mandel-based interferometry, a detection limit for photon phase delay at the zeptosecond scale. The experimental results are then framed in a theoretical model by calculating the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) and, after comparison with the obtained experimental results, it is shown that our setup attains the optimal measurement, nearly saturating CRB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sgobba
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Centre ‘Giuseppe Colombo’, Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, MT, Italy; (F.S.); (A.A.)
- National Council for Research-National Institute of Optics (CNR-INO), Via Campi Flegrei n. 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Andrea Andrisani
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Centre ‘Giuseppe Colombo’, Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, MT, Italy; (F.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Luigi Santamaria Amato
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Centre ‘Giuseppe Colombo’, Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, MT, Italy; (F.S.); (A.A.)
- National Council for Research-National Institute of Optics (CNR-INO), Via Campi Flegrei n. 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
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Acconcia G, Ceccarelli F, Gulinatti A, Rech I. Timing measurements with silicon single photon avalanche diodes: principles and perspectives [Invited]. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:33963-33999. [PMID: 37859164 DOI: 10.1364/oe.491400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Picosecond timing of single photons has laid the foundation of a great variety of applications, from life sciences to quantum communication, thanks to the combination of ultimate sensitivity with a bandwidth that cannot be reached by analog recording techniques. Nowadays, more and more applications could still be enabled or advanced by progress in the available instrumentation, resulting in a steadily increasing research interest in this field. In this scenario, single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) have gained a key position, thanks to the remarkable precision they are able to provide, along with other key advantages like ruggedness, compactness, large signal amplitude, and room temperature operation, which neatly distinguish them from other solutions like superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors and silicon photomultipliers. With this work, we aim at filling a gap in the literature by providing a thorough discussion of the main design rules and tradeoffs for silicon SPADs and the electronics employed along them to achieve high timing precision. In the end, we conclude with our outlook on the future by summarizing new routes that could benefit from present and prospective timing features of silicon SPADs.
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Sgobba F, Andrisani A, Dello Russo S, Siciliani de Cumis M, Santamaria Amato L. Attosecond-Level Delay Sensing via Temporal Quantum Erasing. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7758. [PMID: 37765818 PMCID: PMC10535312 DOI: 10.3390/s23187758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Traditional Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interferometry, insensitive to photons phase mismatch, proved to be a rugged single-photon interferometric technique. By introducing a post-beam splitter polarization-dependent delay, it is possible to recover phase-sensitive fringes, obtaining a temporal quantum eraser that maintains the ruggedness of the original HOM with enhanced sensitivity. This setup shows promising applications in biological sensing and optical metrology, where high sensitivity requirements are coupled with the necessity to keep light intensity as low as possible to avoid power-induced degradation. In this paper, we developed a highly sensitive single photon birefringence-induced delay sensor operating in the telecom range (1550 nm). By using a temporal quantum eraser based on common path Hongr-Ou-Mandel Interferometry, we were able to achieve a sensitivity of 4 as for an integration time of 2·104 s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sgobba
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Andrea Andrisani
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Stefano Dello Russo
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Mario Siciliani de Cumis
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, L.go E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy
| | - Luigi Santamaria Amato
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Centro Spaziale 'Giuseppe Colombo', Località Terlecchia, 75100 Matera, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Campi Flegrei N. 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
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Martyniuk P, Wang P, Rogalski A, Gu Y, Jiang R, Wang F, Hu W. Infrared avalanche photodiodes from bulk to 2D materials. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2023; 12:212. [PMID: 37652900 PMCID: PMC10471776 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have drawn huge interest in recent years and have been extensively used in a range of fields including the most important one-optical communication systems due to their time responses and high sensitivities. This article shows the evolution and the recent development of AIIIBV, AIIBVI, and potential alternatives to formerly mentioned-"third wave" superlattices (SL) and two-dimensional (2D) materials infrared (IR) APDs. In the beginning, the APDs fundamental operating principle is demonstrated together with progress in architecture. It is shown that the APDs evolution has moved the device's performance towards higher bandwidths, lower noise, and higher gain-bandwidth products. The material properties to reach both high gain and low excess noise for devices operating in different wavelength ranges were also considered showing the future progress and the research direction. More attention was paid to advances in AIIIBV APDs, such as AlInAsSb, which may be used in future optical communications, type-II superlattice (T2SLs, "Ga-based" and "Ga-free"), and 2D materials-based IR APDs. The latter-atomically thin 2D materials exhibit huge potential in APDs and could be considered as an alternative material to the well-known, sophisticated, and developed AIIIBV APD technologies to include single-photon detection mode. That is related to the fact that conventional bulk materials APDs' performance is restricted by reasonably high dark currents. One approach to resolve that problem seems to be implementing low-dimensional materials and structures as the APDs' active regions. The Schottky barrier and atomic level thicknesses lead to the 2D APD dark current significant suppression. What is more, APDs can operate within visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR)/mid-wavelength infrared range (MWIR), with a responsivity ~80 A/W, external quantum efficiency ~24.8%, gain ~105 for MWIR [wavelength, λ = 4 μm, temperature, T = 10-180 K, Black Phosphorous (BP)/InSe APD]. It is believed that the 2D APD could prove themselves to be an alternative providing a viable method for device fabrication with simultaneous high-performance-sensitivity and low excess noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Martyniuk
- Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, 2 Kaliskiego Street, 00-908, Warsaw, Poland.
- State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 500 Yu-Tian Road, Shanghai, China.
| | - Peng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 500 Yu-Tian Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Antoni Rogalski
- Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, 2 Kaliskiego Street, 00-908, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yue Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 500 Yu-Tian Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiqi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 500 Yu-Tian Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 500 Yu-Tian Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Weida Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 500 Yu-Tian Road, Shanghai, China
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China F, Yabuno M, Mima S, Miyajima S, Terai H, Miki S. Highly efficient NbTiN nanostrip single-photon detectors using dielectric multilayer cavities for a 2-µm wavelength band. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:20471-20479. [PMID: 37381441 DOI: 10.1364/oe.492957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
We report superconducting nanostrip single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) with dielectric multilayer cavities (DMCs) for a 2-µm wavelength. We designed a DMC composed of periodic SiO2/Si bilayers. Simulation results of finite element analysis showed that the optical absorptance of the NbTiN nanostrips on the DMC exceeded 95% at 2 µm. We fabricated SNSPDs with an active area of 30 µm × 30 µm, which was sufficiently large to couple with a single-mode fiber of 2 µm. The fabricated SNSPDs were evaluated using a sorption-based cryocooler at a controlled temperature. We carefully verified the sensitivity of the power meter and calibrated the optical attenuators to accurately measure the system detection efficiency (SDE) at 2 µm. When the SNSPD was connected to an optical system via a spliced optical fiber, a high SDE of 84.1% was observed at 0.76 K. We also estimated the measurement uncertainty of the SDE as ±5.08% by considering all possible uncertainties in the SDE measurements.
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Yang Y, Peng D, Gu Z, Jiang L, Song B. AuNP-Modulated qPCR: An Optimized System for Detecting MIR Biophotons Released in DNA Replication. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202203513. [PMID: 36539933 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Living systems can utilize energy with a high efficiency. Biophotons are proposed to modulate biological functions with such efficiency; however, the underlying mechanism remains unexplored, especially due to the challenge of ultraweak mid-infrared (MIR) light detection and the theoretical perturbation from spontaneous MIR emission. Here, we proposed an optimized system to detect MIR biophotons generated in the hydrolysis of deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs, energy-storing molecules similar to ATP). The system used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) that was modulated by gold nanoparticle (AuNP) concentration and thus by the inter-AuNP distance, which depends on the concentration above. The measurements indicate that 33- and 84-THz photons are released by dNTP hydrolysis, which can drive DNA replication. Our findings provide a novel chain-reaction-based method for detecting MIR photons in solution, and pave a way for photon-based insights to understand the highly efficient energy utilization of biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 200438, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Daoling Peng
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, South China Normal University, 510006, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Zhenglong Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 200438, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Lab of Modern Optical System, School of Optical-Electrical Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 200093, Shanghai, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Bo Song
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Lab of Modern Optical System, School of Optical-Electrical Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 200093, Shanghai, P. R. China
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