Measurement of the Probability of a Binary Symbol «0» Erasing in a Single-Photon Asynchronous Communication Channel with a Receiver Based on a Photon Counter

Receiving modules of single-photon communication channels should provide the least loss of transmitted information when measuring low-power optical signals. In this regard, it is advisable to use photon counters. They are highly sensitive, but are characterized by data logging errors. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of the intensity of the recorded optical radiation during the transmission of binary symbols «0» on the probability of erasing these symbols in a single-photon communication channel containing a photon counter based on an avalanche photodetector as a receiving module with a passive avalanche suppression scheme.The lower and upper threshold levels of pulses recorded at the output of the photon counter, as well as the statistical distributions of the mixture of the number of dark and signal pulses at the output of the photon counter when registering binary symbols «0» Pst0( N ) and «1» Pst1( N ) were determined. For this, a technique was used to reduce information loss. As a result, the minimum probability of erasing binary symbols «0» P(–/0) was achieved.The performed experimental results showed that to achieve the minimum probability of erasing binary symbols «0» P(–/0) = 0,11·10−2, it is important to select not only the intensity of the used optical radiation J , but also the supply voltage of the avalanche photodetector U, at which the dead time of the photon counter is −2 minimal, and its quantum detection efficiency is maximum: J0 ≥ 98,94·10−2 rel. units and U = 52,54 V.

Single-Pixel Photon-Counting Imaging Based on Dual-Comb Interferometry

We propose and experimentally demonstrate single-pixel photon counting imaging based on dual-comb interferometry at 1550 nm. Different from traditional dual-comb imaging, this approach enables imaging at the photon-counting regime by using single-photon detectors combined with a time-correlated single-photon counter to record the returning photons. The illumination power is as low as 14 pW, corresponding to 2.2 × 10−3 photons/pulse. The lateral resolution is about 50 μm. This technique paves the way for applying dual-comb in remote sensing and imaging.

Author Correction: Detectivity optimization to measure ultraweak light fluxes using an EM-CCD as binary photon counter array

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Stochastic light concentration from 3D to 2D reveals ultraweak chemi- and bioluminescence

For countless applications in science and technology, light must be concentrated, and concentration is classically achieved with reflective and refractive elements. However, there is so far no efficient way, with a 2D detector, to detect photons produced inside an extended volume with a broad or isotropic angular distribution. Here, with theory and experiment, we propose to stochastically transform and concentrate a volume into a smaller surface, using a high-albedo Ulbricht cavity and a small exit orifice through cavity walls. A 3D gas of photons produced inside the cavity is transformed with a 50% number efficiency into a 2D Lambertian emitting orifice with maximal radiance and a much smaller size. With high-albedo quartz-powder cavity walls ($$\rho =99.94\%$$ ρ = 99.94 % ), the orifice area is $$1/(1-\rho )\approx 1600$$ 1 / ( 1 - ρ ) ≈ 1600 times smaller than the walls’ area. When coupled to a detectivity-optimized photon-counter ($$\mathcal{D}=0.015\,{\text{photon}}^{-1}\,{\text{s}}^{1/2}\text{ cm}$$ D = 0.015 photon - 1 s 1 / 2 cm ) the detection limit is $$110\;{\text{photon}}\;{\text{s}}^{ - 1} \;{\text{L}}^{ - 1}$$ 110 photon s - 1 L - 1 . Thanks to this unprecedented sensitivity, we could detect the luminescence produced by the non-catalytic disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide in pure water, which has not been observed so far. We could also detect the ultraweak bioluminescence produced by yeast cells at the onset of their growth. Our work opens new perspectives for studying ultraweak luminescence, and the concept of stochastic 3D/2D conjugation should help design novel light detection methods for large samples or diluted emitters.