Compact cryogenic self-aligning fiber-to-detector coupling with losses below one percent

doi:10.1364/OE.19.009102

Compact cryogenic self-aligning fiber-to-detector coupling with losses below one percent

Aaron J. Miller, Adriana E. Lita, Brice Calkins, Igor Vayshenker, Steven M. Gruber, and Sae Woo Nam »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 10, pp. 9102-9110 (2011)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.19.009102

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Abstract
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Abstract

We present a compact packaging technique for coupling light from a single-mode telecommunication fiber to cryogenic single-photon sensitive devices. Our single-photon detectors are superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) with a collection area only a factor of a few larger than the area of the fiber core which presents significant challenges to low-loss fiber-to-detector coupling. The coupling method presented here has low loss, cryogenic compatibility, easy and reproducible assembly and low component cost. The system efficiency of the packaged single-photon counting detectors is verified by the “triplet method” of power-source calibration along with the “multiple attenuator” method that produces a calibrated single-photon flux. These calibration techniques, when used in combination with through-wafer imaging and fiber back-reflection measurements, give us confidence that we have achieved coupling losses below 1 % for all devices packaged according to the self-alignment method presented in this paper.

OCIS Codes
(060.2380) Fiber optics and optical communications : Fiber optics sources and detectors
(220.1140) Optical design and fabrication : Alignment

ToC Category:
Fiber Optics and Optical Communications

History
Original Manuscript: March 8, 2011
Manuscript Accepted: March 25, 2011
Published: April 25, 2011

Citation
Aaron J. Miller, Adriana E. Lita, Brice Calkins, Igor Vayshenker, Steven M. Gruber, and Sae Woo Nam, "Compact cryogenic self-aligning fiber-to-detector coupling with losses below one percent," Opt. Express 19, 9102-9110 (2011)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-19-10-9102

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References

E. Knill, R. Laflamme, and G. J. Milburn, “A scheme for efficient quantum computation with linear optics,” Nature 409, 46–52 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Varnava, D. E. Browne, and T. Rudolph, “How good must single photon sources and detectors be for efficient linear optical quantum computation?” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 060502 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
A. J. Miller, S. Nam, J. M. Martinis, and A. V. Sergienko, “Demonstration of a low-noise near-infrared photon counter with multiphoton discrimination,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 791 – 793 (2003). [CrossRef]
A. E. Lita, A. J. Miller, and S. Nam, “Counting near-infrared single-photons with 95% efficiency,” Opt. Exp. 16, 3032–3040 (2008). [CrossRef]
D. Rosenberg, A. E. Lita, A. J. Miller, and S. Nam, “Noise-free high-efficiency photon-number-resolving detectors,” Phys. Rev. A 71, 61803 (2005). [CrossRef]
T. Gerrits, S. Glancy, T. S. Clement, B. Calkins, A. E. Lita, A. J. Miller, A. L. Migdall, S. Nam, R. P. Mirin, and E. Knill, “Generation of optical coherent state superpositions by number-resolved photon subtraction from squeezed vacuum,” Phys. Rev. A 82, 031802 (2010). [CrossRef]
A. E. Lita, B. Calkins, L. A. Pellouchoud, A. J. Miller, and S. Nam, “Superconducting transition-edge sensors optimized for high-efficiency photon-number resolving detectors,” Proc. SPIE 7681, 76810D–1–10 (2010).
J. H. Lehman and X. Li, “A transfer standard for optical fiber power metrology,” Appl. Opt. 38, 7164–7166 (1999).
I. Vayshenker, S. Yang, X. Li, T. R. Scott, and C. L. Cromer, “Optical fiber power meter nonlinearity calibrations at NIST,” NIST Special Publication 250–56 (2000).

Browne, D. E.
Calkins, B.
Clement, T. S.
Gerrits, T.
Glancy, S.
Knill, E.
Laflamme, R.
Lehman, J. H.
Li, X.
Lita, A. E.
Martinis, J. M.
Migdall, A. L.
Milburn, G. J.
Miller, A. J.
Mirin, R. P.
Nam, S.
Pellouchoud, L. A.
Rosenberg, D.
Rudolph, T.
Sergienko, A. V.
Varnava, M.

Appl. Opt.

J. H. Lehman and X. Li, “A transfer standard for optical fiber power metrology,” Appl. Opt. 38, 7164–7166 (1999).

Appl. Phys. Lett.

A. J. Miller, S. Nam, J. M. Martinis, and A. V. Sergienko, “Demonstration of a low-noise near-infrared photon counter with multiphoton discrimination,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 791 – 793 (2003). [CrossRef]

Nature

E. Knill, R. Laflamme, and G. J. Milburn, “A scheme for efficient quantum computation with linear optics,” Nature 409, 46–52 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Exp.

A. E. Lita, A. J. Miller, and S. Nam, “Counting near-infrared single-photons with 95% efficiency,” Opt. Exp. 16, 3032–3040 (2008). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. A

D. Rosenberg, A. E. Lita, A. J. Miller, and S. Nam, “Noise-free high-efficiency photon-number-resolving detectors,” Phys. Rev. A 71, 61803 (2005). [CrossRef]
T. Gerrits, S. Glancy, T. S. Clement, B. Calkins, A. E. Lita, A. J. Miller, A. L. Migdall, S. Nam, R. P. Mirin, and E. Knill, “Generation of optical coherent state superpositions by number-resolved photon subtraction from squeezed vacuum,” Phys. Rev. A 82, 031802 (2010). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

M. Varnava, D. E. Browne, and T. Rudolph, “How good must single photon sources and detectors be for efficient linear optical quantum computation?” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 060502 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. SPIE

A. E. Lita, B. Calkins, L. A. Pellouchoud, A. J. Miller, and S. Nam, “Superconducting transition-edge sensors optimized for high-efficiency photon-number resolving detectors,” Proc. SPIE 7681, 76810D–1–10 (2010).

Other

I. Vayshenker, S. Yang, X. Li, T. R. Scott, and C. L. Cromer, “Optical fiber power meter nonlinearity calibrations at NIST,” NIST Special Publication 250–56 (2000).

2010, Gerrits, Phys. Rev. A
2010, Lita, Proc. SPIE
2008, Varnava, Phys. Rev. Lett.
2008, Lita, Opt. Exp.
2005, Rosenberg, Phys. Rev. A
2003, Miller, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2001, Knill, Nature
1999, Lehman, Appl. Opt.

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