Systems and methods for resolving a number of incident RF-range photons
| DWPI Title: Detector for detecting number of incident radio frequency (RF)-range photons, has hardware logic component that receives signal from ohmmeter and outputs indication that RF-range photon impinged on surface of element based upon resistance |
| Abstract: A photon-number-resolving detector comprises a detection element, an ohmmeter, and a hardware logic component. The detection element can be formed from a Weyl or Dirac semimetal. Electrons of the detection element are characterized by a surface state that exhibits a Dirac cone and a bulk superconducting state that exhibits a bandgap. When photons having energies less than the bandgap of the bulk superconducting state impinges on the detection element, the photons can be absorbed by electrons of the detection element that are characterized by the surface state. The ohmmeter outputs resistance data indicative of an electrical resistance of the detection element while the photons impinge on the detection element. The hardware logic component can determine, based upon the resistance data, a number of the photons that are absorbed by the surface state electrons of the detection element. |
| Use: Detector for detecting sub-optical-wavelength photons such as incident radio frequency-range in a quantum computer. |
| Advantage: The detector ensures that a cooling device cools a detection unit to parking temperature of 0.35-0.45 K prior to incidence of photons, and thus allowing the detector to detect photons with energies in an optical frequency range, or greater than or equal to about 12.5 millielectronvolt. |
| Novelty: The detector has an element (102) that comprises a surface (408) and a bulk portion that are formed of same material, where electrons of the element exhibit a surface state proximal to a surface and a bulk state within the bulk portion that differs from the surface state, and radio frequency (RF)-range photon (404) impinging on a surface of the element is absorbed by an electron exhibiting the surface state so that heat is dissipated into the bulk portion of the element. An ohmmeter (108) is configured to output a signal indicative of resistance of the bulk portion of the element, where the resistance of the bulk portion of the element is based upon the heat dissipated into the bulk portion of the element. A hardware logic component receives the signal from the ohmmeter, and outputs an indication that the RF-range photon impinged on the surface of the element based upon the resistance. The surface state is characterized by a Dirac cone. |
| Filed: 8/30/2021 |
| Application Number: US17461438A |
| Tech ID: SD 15585.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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