STI Center "Quantum Communications: Infrared Photon Video Detector

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2020: Announcement of ultra-sensitive video camera for quantum communications and diagnostic medicine

On November 5, 2020 it became known that an uchenyecentra of NTI "Quantum Communications" of NITU "MISIS" presented a prototype of the video detector of infrared photons - the camera which will be able "to see" the movement of single particles of such radiation. The device will find application in areas where accurate measurements are required: secure (quantum) communications, quantum computing, diagnostic medicine. The work is carried out as part of a state contract for the implementation of ROC by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

Camera prototype

As explained, the first attempts to detect photons "piece by piece" were made at the beginning of the 20th century on electronic lamps - photoelectronic multipliers. However, the first instruments, due to the weak technological component, worked slowly, sometimes did not work or worked falsely. A breakthrough into the infrared range occurred in the early 2000s - then the team of Russian physicist Grigory Goltzman, having founded the Skontel company, created a single-pixel counter of single photons on superconductors.

In 2020, already as part of the Center of NTI "Quantum Communications" NITU "MISiS" by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the team is developing a 1000-pixel video detector of single photons. The device will not only detect particles, but also obtain an image in almost complete darkness.

Camera prototype

According to the developers, the request for multi-pixel photon detectors is growing along with the development of technologies. These cameras will be used in fiber-optic networks in secure communication channels to ensure the security of data transmission.

If an attacker tries to steal some information encoded using photons, then he simply will not be able to do it secretly. Photon detectors will be installed both at the consumer and at the sender of information. And if the information was stolen, then this will become known at the speed of light. said Grigory Goltzman, chief researcher at the Quantum Communications Laboratory of the NTI NITU MISiS Center, founder of Skontel

As of November 2020, the first stage has been completed, 8 pixels have been created. According to scientists, this number already allows you to understand and control the principles of the matrix, a further question is in scaling.

Camera prototype

The meter itself is located inside the cryostat at a temperature of only 2 Kelvin, which is close to absolute zero. When the photon is detected, it sends a signal to the processing circuit, and an image appears on the display. supplemented by Grigory Goltzman, chief researcher at the Quantum Communications Laboratory of the NTI NITU MISiS Center, founder of Skontel

The next step is to get an image of 1,000,000 pixels from a matrix of 1000 pixels. You can "open" one pixel at a time, like in old TVs, but it will be very slow. Therefore, to further scale the resulting image, it is passed through special patterns.

There is a way to speed up the process - open pixels in groups. To do this, special stencils are used. You open one pattern, measure how much light hits the detector, then the second pattern, and so on. said Alexander Korneev, senior researcher at the laboratory "Quantum Communications" of the Center NTI NITU "MISiS"

According to the developers, the device will find its use in technological fields: when creating protected quantum communication lines, including satellite communication channels, when designing a quantum computer on photons, in diagnostic medical devices, for detecting cancer tumors.