Capturing single photons through light–matter interactions is a fascinating and important topic for both fundamental research and practical applications. The light–matter interaction enables the transfer of the energy of a… Click to show full abstract
Capturing single photons through light–matter interactions is a fascinating and important topic for both fundamental research and practical applications. The light–matter interaction enables the transfer of the energy of a single photon (∼1 eV) to a bound electron, making it free to move either in the crystal lattice or in the vacuum. In conventional single photon detectors (e.g., avalanche photodiodes), this free electron triggers a carrier multiplication process which amplifies the ultraweak signal to a detectable level. Despite their popularity, the timing jitter of these conventional detectors is limited to tens of picoseconds, mainly attributed to a finite velocity of carriers drifting through the detectors. Here we propose a new type of single photon detector where a quantum dot, embedded in a single-electron transistor like device structure, traps a photogenerated charge and gives rise to a sizable voltage signal (∼7 mV per electron or hole by simulation) on a nearby sense probe through capacitive ...
               
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