Stepping Closer to Pulsed Single Microwave Photon Detectors for Axions Search

Characterization of Terahertz Single-Photon-Sensitive Bolometric Detectors Using a Pulsed Microwave Technique

We describe a technique for characterizing bolometric detectors that have sufficient sensitivity to count single terahertz photons. The device is isolated from infrared blackbody radiation and a single terahertz photon is simulated by a fast microwave pulse, where the absorbed energy of the pulse is equal to the photon energy. We have employed this technique to characterize bolometric detectors...

Large-scale microwave cavity search for dark-matter axions

We have built and operated a large-scale axion detector, based on a method originally proposed by Sikivie, to search for halo axions. The apparatus consists of a cylindrical tunable high-Q microwave cavity threaded axially by a static high magnetic field. This field stimulates axions that enter the cavity to convert into single microwave photons. The conversion is resonantly enhanced when the c...

SQUID-based microwave cavity search for dark-matter axions.

Axions in the microeV mass range are a plausible cold dark-matter candidate and may be detected by their conversion into microwave photons in a resonant cavity immersed in a static magnetic field. We report the first result from such an axion search using a superconducting first-stage amplifier (SQUID) replacing a conventional GaAs field-effect transistor amplifier. This experiment excludes KSV...

Single Photon Counting Detectors for TCSPC

Semiconductor optical single-photon detectors

Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs) connected with quenching circuits can be used for single photon detection. This semiconductor photon detector has a better performance than photomultiplier. The principles and applications of APDs are presented. Features, performance of different commercial devices are introduced and compared. Recent research progress based on the improvement of quenching circuits a...