Next Generation Quantum Detector Utilising Engineered Materials for Short-wave Infrared Applications

在过去的十年里，我们看到了基于量子技术的应用的快速发展和日益增长的兴趣，预计到2026年，全球量子技术市场总额将达到315.7亿美元。这些新兴的量子应用中的大多数都需要单光子雪崩二极管(SPAD)探测器，其工作范围超出硅的光谱范围，但具有“类似硅”的性能。在现有系统中使用类硅短波红外(SWIR)SPAD探测器将立即提高现有成像系统的分辨率和采集时间，并扩大量子密钥分发(QKD)的范围和提高数据速率。然而，目前商用的基于二十多年前设计的基于InGaAs/InP的SPAD的性能不太可能发生阶跃变化。在过去的五年里，通过新的III-V材料和半导体能带结构工程进行的几项创新的出现为我们提供了长波探测器性能的范式转变的可能性。SWIR地区发展SPAD的下一次革命几乎肯定是使用新材料和能带结构工程化结构。这样的革命将显著提高检测效率和快速计时。这种新型探测器将在现有的最先进的飞行时间测距/深度成像和QKD试验台上进行评估。这项奖学金计划的目标是扫除阻碍开发负担得起且易于操作的SPAD的材料和加工问题的障碍，并弥合材料科学、半导体物理、可制造性和量子技术应用之间的差距，以改善基于下一代量子技术的应用的范围和整体性能。

We have seen rapid development and growing interest in quantum technologies-based applications in the past decade and the overall global quantum technology market is expected to reach $31.57B by 2026. Most of these emerging quantum applications require single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors operating beyond the spectral range of silicon but with "silicon-like" performance. The use of "silicon-like" short-wave infrared (SWIR) SPAD detectors in the existing systems will immediately improve resolution and acquisition time for the existing imaging system and enhance the range and improve data rate for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). However, the present commercially available InGaAs/InP based SPADs based on designs from more than two decades ago are unlikely to have a step change in their performance. Over the last five years, the advent of several innovations by way of novel III-V materials and semiconductor band structure engineering offers us the possibility of a paradigm shift in the performance of long wavelength detectors. The next revolution in the development of SPADs in the SWIR region will almost certainly be using novel materials and band structure engineered structures. Such a revolution will significantly enhance detection efficiency and fast timing. This new class of detectors will be evaluated on existing state-of-the-art testbeds for time-of-flight ranging/depth imaging and QKD. This Fellowship proposal has the ambition to sweep away the obstacles of material and processing problems that are hindering the development of affordable and easy operation SPADs, and to bridge gaps between material sciences, semiconductor physics, manufacturability and quantum technology applications in order to improve the scope and overall performance of next generation quantum technology-based applications.