Quantum Nature of Light Measured With a Single Detector

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the quantum nature of light using a simplified setup with a single emitter and detector, confirming quantum theory without complex arrangements.

Contribution

It introduces a minimalistic experimental approach to prove light's quantum properties, eliminating the need for beam splitters and multiple detectors.

Findings

Confirmed non-classical light behavior with a single detector

Simplified quantum optical measurement technique

Potential applications in quantum information and sensing

Abstract

We realized the most fundamental quantum optical experiment to prove the non-classical character of light: Only a single quantum emitter and a single superconducting nanowire detector were used. A particular appeal of our experiment is its elegance and simplicity. Yet its results unambiguously enforce a quantum theory for light. Previous experiments relied on more complex setups, such as the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss configuration, where a beam splitter directs light to two photodetectors, giving the false impression that the beam splitter is required. Our work results in a major simplification of the widely used photon-correlation techniques with applications ranging from quantum information processing to single-molecule detection.