Part of the Oxford Instruments Group
Challenge Background
Quantum entanglement occurs when two particles remain connected, even over large distances; such that actions performed on the quantum state of one have an instant effect on the other - the quantum state must be described for the system as a whole. Understanding of Photon Entanglement is highly pertinent to the growing fields of Quantum Communications, Quantum Cryptography, Quantum Computing and even Quantum Microscopy.
Imaging studies of entangled photon systems require ultrasensitive array detectors that are capable of registering and counting single photon events and photon pairs with superb discrimination from background noise events. Experimental workflow is furthermore enhanced through the ability to image with a rapid frame rate, thus accelerating the rate of image construction through photon counting.
Technology Solution
Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) camera technology is the leading detector solution for entangled photon studies, combining single photon sensitivity with > 90% Quantum Efficiency. Furthermore, raw single photon sensitivity can be maintained without having to sacrifice fast frame rate capability, a common trade-off of traditional CCD technology.
Andor Camera Solution for Photon Entanglement Studies
Andor strongly recommends theiXon超897Back-illuminated EMCCD Camera for Entangled Photon experiments. The iXon Ultra is a well-established EMCCD platform for high throughput single photon detection. With deep vacuum cooling down to -100°C and minimized spurious noise sources, the iXon Ultra provides the single photon and photon pair discrimination required for successful, high throughout detection in these most demanding of photon starved experiments:
| Key Requirement | Quantum Entanglement Solution: iXon Ultra 897 |
| Discriminate Single Photons with Superb Accuracy | Single Photon Sensitivity (negligible read noise floor) combined with > 90% QE mean that the majority of incident photons are captured and registered. Minimized Thermal Noise and Clock Induced Charge (Spurious Noise) results in superb discrimination of photon events from background events, with < 0.2% probability of noise events occurring in a single pixel. Result – Enhanced detection statistics and accelerated experimental throughput. |
| High Throughout Counting | iXon超897 reads out the full 512 x 512 array at up to 56 fps, but further acceleration is possible through use of user-defined sub-arrays, e.g. greater than 500 fps from a 128 x128 sub-array. Result – Accelerate rate of constructing images through photon counting. |
| Detection of Entangled Pairs | Superb Charge Transfer Efficiency means < 0.07% probability of a photon event spreading to a neighbouring pixel. Result - Confident correlation between neighbouring photon pairs. |
| Quality and Longevity | iXon超897 comes with a 7 year guarantee on the UltraVac™ vacuum sensor enclosure. The well proven permanent vacuum process is critical not only for cooling, but for protection of the back-illuminated sensor against moisture and condensates. Result – Sustained high performance, year after year. |
Need photon counting with Ultrafast Shuttering capability and Fastest Possible Frame Rates? Check out the AndoriStar sCMOS
References
©牛津Instruments 2021
