Chinese scientists create 100-channel photon detector — South China Morning Post

Researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a platform for detecting more than 100 independent single-photon channels. The solution is intended to operate stably at cryogenic temperatures and to scale photonic quantum technologies, South China Morning Post reports.

How the number of channels was increased

Such systems use superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. They detect individual photons but require cooling to nearly absolute zero. Signals are usually transmitted outside via coaxial cables, which conduct heat from the room environment to the cryogenic chamber.

As the number of channels grows, a large number of cables creates a significant thermal load, increases the system's size and its energy consumption. Previously, standard setups could support about 32 channels.

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The Shanghai team developed flexible high-density multiconductor microstrip lines. According to the researchers, the new design allows 21 times less heat to enter the system than traditional thick cables.

Testing the quantum network

During a seven-day continuous test, the temperature of the cryogenic platform remained below 2.1 K. All channels demonstrated a system detection efficiency of more than 80%, as well as low false-trigger rates.

To test the technology, the scientists created a fully connected network for quantum distribution of entangled states for five users. It formed 10 bidirectional quantum connections, and the accuracy of quantum information transmission on each of them exceeded 90%. The study results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Laser & Photonics Reviews at the end of September.