Low noise, high-throughput, time-resolved single-photon sensor for quantum applications

量子技术将彻底改变科学、计算、通信、医疗诊断和治疗、安全、国防和消费品。从根本上说，量子技术在日常生活中的发展和扩散取决于能够记录单个能量量子的时间分辨传感器的可用性。Photon Force与Heriot Watt University（爱丁堡）和Fraunhofer UK（格拉斯哥）合作，创造了一种单光子敏感的光纤耦合光探测器，每秒可以以55皮秒的时间精度检测和计时5亿个光子。这种传感器可以帮助物理学家推进他们的研究，消防员透过烟雾看到东西，提高医学成像的分辨率和速度，或者提供安全的光通信链路。

Quantum technology will revolutionize science, computing, communication, medical diagnosis and treatment, security, defence, and consumer goods. Fundamentally, the development and proliferation of quantum technologies into everyday life depend on the availability of sensors capable of time-resolved recording of individual energy quanta. Photon Force has partnered with Heriot Watt University (Edinburgh) and Fraunhofer UK (Glasgow) to create a single-photon sensitive fibre-coupled light detector which can detect and time 0.5 billion individual photons per second with 55 picosecond time precision. The sensor could help physicists advance their research, firefighters see through smoke, improve the resolution and speed of medical imaging, or provide secure optical communication links.