Scientists at Heriot-Watt University have produced a state-of-the-art single photon detector system for the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
This detector system exploits revolutionary superconducting single-photon detector technology, which far outperforms conventional detector types in terms of infrared sensitivity, signal-to-noise and timing resolution.
The system will enable scientists at the NPL to carry out groundbreaking experiments in quantum metrology and quantum information processing, helping to ensure the UK retains its international lead in these important 21st Century technologies.
The work was carried out by Dr Robert Hadfield, a Reader in Physics and Royal Society University Research Fellow at Heriot-Watt University, and Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, a Research Engineer, who is sponsored by the NPL under the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Photonics Engineering Doctorate scheme.