Single photon detector
An ultra-reliable single-photon detector for robust quantum communication and computing systems.
We would like to better understand how our single photon detection solution might serve your requirements. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss.
Background
The global rollout of quantum infrastructure is shifting from localised laboratory experiments towards scalable, commercial network deployments. As governments and enterprises transition to quantum-secured networks to protect critical assets against future cryptographic threats, the underlying detector hardware must provide flawless signal integrity, scalable cost structures, and environmental versatility.
Currently, high-performance quantum communication relies almost entirely on Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) for their high detection efficiency and low error rates, and InGaAs-based Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) for their low cost and size. However, SNSPDs are physically bottlenecked by their absolute dependence on liquid-helium cryogenic cooling. This requirement introduces massive, power-hungry, and prohibitively expensive cooling rigs, severely limiting network scalability. Meanwhile, InGaAs-based SPADs are compact but suffer from relatively low detection efficiencies of up to only ~30%.
To build an accessible, widespread quantum internet—spanning both terrestrial fibre networks and free-space satellite links—the industry requires a high-efficiency single-photon detector that can operate reliably without cryogenic infrastructure.
Solution
Our solution provides a high-performance indium arsenide (InAs)-based SPAD platform designed for immediate integration into next-generation quantum communication and computing systems. Our platform achieves ultra-high single-photon sensitivity across a broad spectrum that bridges standard 1,550 nm telecom wavelengths and the mid-infrared up to 3.5 µm—all at room temperature or with simple thermoelectric cooling. By operating natively across this broad spectrum without cryogenics, our SPAD provides the missing hardware link for terrestrial fibre paths and free-space optical receivers, allowing operators to deploy secure quantum keys using existing telecom infrastructure or mid-IR windows that cut right through solar background noise.
Benefits
- Seamless 1,550 nm Integration. Drop-in compatibility with existing fibre networks and laser architectures.
- Cryogenic-free operation. Delivers high single-photon detection efficiency at room temperature or via accessible thermoelectric cooling, utilising the near-100% detection efficiency.
- High-fidelity, error-free detection. Ultra-low dark count rates.
- Broad spectrum coverage. Telecom wavelengths to 3.5 µm.