Number-Resolved Single-Photon Detection with Ultralow Noise van der Waals Hybrid

Abstract

Van der Waals hybrids of graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit an extremely large response to optical excitation, yet counting of photons with single-photon resolution is not achieved. Here, a dual-gated bilayer graphene (BLG) and molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂) hybrid are demonstrated, where opening a band gap in the BLG allows extremely low channel (receiver) noise and large optical gain (≈10¹⁰) simultaneously. The resulting device is capable of unambiguous determination of the Poissonian emission statistics of an optical source with single-photon resolution at an operating temperature of 80 K, dark count rate 0.07 Hz, and linear dynamic range of ≈40 dB. Single-shot number-resolved single-photon detection with van der Waals heterostructures may impact multiple technologies, including the linear optical quantum computation.

Van der Waals heterostructures of electrically biased bilayer graphene and molybdenum disulfide are capable of counting photons in an optical pulse with single-photon resolution. These devices exhibit low dark count rate and large dynamic range. The results may inspire a new class of number-resolved single-photon detectors with van der Waals materials.

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