We present an experimental realization of a 16 element, temporal-array, photon-number-resolving (PNR) detector, which is a multiplexed single-photon detector that splits an input signal over multiple time bins, and the time bins are detected using two superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD). A theoretical investigation of the PNR capabilities of the detector is performed and it is concluded that, compared to a single-photon detector, our array detector can resolve one order of magnitude higher mean photon numbers, given the same number of input pulses to measure. This claim is experimentally verified and we show that the detector can accurately predict photon numbers between ${10}^{-3}$ and ${10}^2$. Our present detector is incapable of single-shot photon-number measurements with high precision since its effective quantum efficiency is $49\%$. Using SNSPDs with a higher quantum efficiency the PNR performance will improve, but the photon-number resolution will still be limited by the array size.

中文翻译：

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具有超导纳米线单光子探测器的时间阵列，用于光子数解析

我们提出了一个16元素的时间阵列，光子数分辨（PNR）检测器的实验实现，该检测器是将单路输入信号拆分到多个时间段的多路复用单光子检测器，并且使用两个检测时间段超导纳米线单光子探测器（SNSPD）。对探测器的PNR功能进行了理论研究，得出的结论是，与单光子探测器相比，我们的阵列探测器在给定相同数量的输入脉冲进行测量的情况下，可以分辨高一个数量级的平均光子数。该说法已通过实验验证，我们证明了该探测器可以准确预测之间的光子数${10}^{-3}$ 和 ${10}^2$。我们现有的探测器不能有效地进行单次光子数测量，因为它的有效量子效率为$49％$。使用具有更高量子效率的SNSPD，PNR性能将得到改善，但光子数分辨率仍将受到阵列尺寸的限制。