Stroboscopic detection of itinerant microwave photons
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arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866911522606809088 |
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| author | Zeller, Hanna Danner, Lukas Hofheinz, Max Padurariu, Ciprian Ankerhold, Joachim Kubala, Björn |
| author_facet | Zeller, Hanna Danner, Lukas Hofheinz, Max Padurariu, Ciprian Ankerhold, Joachim Kubala, Björn |
| contents | We present a novel scheme to detect itinerant microwave radiation at the single photon level. Using existing Josephson-photonics devices, where two microwave cavities are coupled by a dc-voltage biased superconducting junction, we theoretically show how to implement a stroboscopically repeated, near-projective measurement of a photon impinging on one of the cavities. Optimizing rate, duration, and strength of the measurement by flux control of the junction and developing a threshold protocol to detect the photon from a homodyne measurement of the radiation output of the other cavity, we achieve highly efficient detection with low dark counts. By cascading the detector with a preamplifier, where a similar two-cavity Josephson-photonics device acts as a photon multiplier, we can further improve the device to reach a detection efficiency of $88.5 \%$ with a dark count rate of $\sim10^{-4} γ_a$, set by the resonance width $γ_a$ of the absorbing cavity. These results for a multiplication factor of two suggest that near-unity efficiencies may be reached for higher multiplication factors. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_16522 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Stroboscopic detection of itinerant microwave photons Zeller, Hanna Danner, Lukas Hofheinz, Max Padurariu, Ciprian Ankerhold, Joachim Kubala, Björn Quantum Physics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Superconductivity We present a novel scheme to detect itinerant microwave radiation at the single photon level. Using existing Josephson-photonics devices, where two microwave cavities are coupled by a dc-voltage biased superconducting junction, we theoretically show how to implement a stroboscopically repeated, near-projective measurement of a photon impinging on one of the cavities. Optimizing rate, duration, and strength of the measurement by flux control of the junction and developing a threshold protocol to detect the photon from a homodyne measurement of the radiation output of the other cavity, we achieve highly efficient detection with low dark counts. By cascading the detector with a preamplifier, where a similar two-cavity Josephson-photonics device acts as a photon multiplier, we can further improve the device to reach a detection efficiency of $88.5 \%$ with a dark count rate of $\sim10^{-4} γ_a$, set by the resonance width $γ_a$ of the absorbing cavity. These results for a multiplication factor of two suggest that near-unity efficiencies may be reached for higher multiplication factors. |
| title | Stroboscopic detection of itinerant microwave photons |
| topic | Quantum Physics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Superconductivity |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16522 |