Photonics Detection Beyond Single Photons

*** NEW – January 18, 2021

• An attachment has been added to extend the closing date for this challenge to January 27, 2021 at 14:00 EST

This Challenge Notice is issued under the Innovative Solutions Canada Program (ISC) Call for Proposals 003 (EN578-20ISC3). For general ISC information, Bidders can visit the ISC website.

Please refer to the Solicitation Documents which contain the process for submitting a proposal.

Steps to apply:

Step 1: read this challenge

Step 2: read the Call for Proposals

Step 3: propose your solution here

CHALLENGE TITLE: Photonic Detection Beyond Single Photons

CHALLENGE SPONSOR: National Research Council of Canada (NRC)

Funding Mechanism: Contract

MAXIMUM CONTRACT VALUE:

Multiple contracts could result from this Challenge.

Phase 1:

• The maximum funding available for any Phase 1 contract resulting from this Challenge is : $150,000 CAD excluding applicable taxes, shipping, travel and living expenses, as required.
• The maximum duration for any Phase 1 contract resulting from this Challenge is up to 6 months (excluding submission of the final report).
• Estimated number of Phase 1 contracts: 2

Phase 2:

• The maximum funding available for any Phase 2 contract resulting from this Challenge is : $1,000,000 CAD excluding applicable taxes, shipping, travel and living expenses, as required.
• The maximum duration for any Phase 2 contract resulting from this Challenge is up to 24 months (excluding submission of the final report).

Note: Only eligible businesses that have completed Phase 1 could be considered for Phase 2.

• Estimated number of Phase 2 contracts: 1

This disclosure is made in good faith and does not commit Canada to award any contract for the total approximate funding. Final decisions on the number of Phase 1 and Phase 2 awards will be made by Canada on the basis of factors such as evaluation results, departmental priorities and availability of funds. Canada reserves the right to make partial awards and to negotiate project scope changes.

Note: Selected companies are eligible to receive one contract per phase per challenge.

Travel

Kick-off meeting

Ottawa, ON*

Progress review meeting(s)

Any progress review meetings will be conducted by videoconference or teleconference. 

Final review meeting

Ottawa, ON*

All other communication can take place by telephone, videoconference, and WebEx.

*Due to Covid-19, the kick-off meeting and final review meeting will have the flexibility of being a video or teleconference due to travel issues and other restrictions.

Problem statement

NRC is seeking a solution that will enable us to detect and distinguish photon number states up to 5-10 photons at various wavelengths including 800nm and 1550nm for development of photonic quantum technologies; the photon number resolving detection technology should operate above 200kHz rate with software and hardware integration to allow for automatic calibration and data collection.

NRC’s Security and Disruptive Technologies (SDT) research centre hosts photonic quantum technology research with focus on solid-state sources, interfaces, and ultrafast quantum optics, with applications in secure quantum communications, quantum sensing, and quantum computation. Photon detection technologies are an essential component in the development of photonic quantum technologies. This has so far been limited to single photon detection with superconducting nanowire detectors, avalanche photodiodes, and single photon cameras. Resolving photon number states is critical to unlock many possibilities in photonic quantum technologies. Photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors will enable NRC scientists to pursue exciting new approaches to quantum sensing, communication, and processing. From a sensing perspective, researchers will be able to make phase measurements approaching the Heisenberg limit – nature’s absolute limit of sensitivity. Researchers will be able to validate the creation and use of exotic number states, and entangled states, which are a necessary resource for quantum networks and processing.

In this challenge, NRC is seeking demonstration of photon-number-resolving detection technology at rates in excess of 200kHz and wavelengths around 800nm and 1550nm. NRC is particularly interested in integrated systems that include automated calibration software and hardware, and automated data collection and analysis software for a user-friendly operation with ability to operate 12 detectors simultaneously. To harness the potential of PNR detection, NRC will require photon-number-resolution capability of at least 5-10 photons per detector. In addition, demonstration of high-rate sources of photons at both 1550nm and 800nm, integrated with the detection system, is required for consideration of phase 2 procurement. True PNR detectors have been demonstrated only in research laboratories using Transition Edge Sensors (TES), with operation rates on the order of 100 kHz. At present, these demonstrations require significant time for manual calibration, preventing scaling up to simultaneous operation of multiple detectors. Moving from research grade detectors to a user-friendly commercial product is a significant scientific and technical challenge.

Essential (mandatory) Outcomes

Proposed solutions must:

1. Be able to operate at a repetition rate of at least 200 kHz.
2. Provide 6 separate detectors that operate at 1550 ± 20nm and 6 more that operate at 800 ± 10nm.
3. Have capability to add at least 12 extra detectors in the future
4. Have peak single photon detection efficiency in excess of 90% in each operating wavelength range (or “window”).
5. Be able to distinguish photon numbers up to 10 with a confidence level in excess of 80%, for each individual detector in the 1550nm window, for photon bandwidths below 1THz.
6. Be able to distinguish photon numbers up to 5 with a confidence level in excess of 80%, for each individual detector in the 800nm window, for photon bandwidths below 1THz.
7. Be “turn-key automated” such that any calibration, adjustments or cycling can be performed by a non-specialist.
8. If the solution requires cryogenic cooling then the cryostat must be included in the product. The operation of the cryogenics must be automated such that it can be operated by a non-specialist.
9. Include a turn-key source of pulsed classical light within the 1550nm window, and a pulsed source of classical light within the 800nm window, for calibration and testing of detectors. The light sources must have repetition rate of 100kHz or above.
10. Include a device for generating “squeezed” quantum light at 1550nm for use in experiments. The device must be research-grade, allowing NRC researchers to integrate it with their existing laser sources and experiments.

Additional Outcomes

Proposed solutions should:

1. Be able to distinguish photon numbers up to 20 with a confidence level of 80%.
2. The detectors should have broadband operation, operating at the required specifications in the ranges 800 ± 50nm and 1550 ± 100nm.
3. Operate at repetition rate greater than 1MHz.

Background and Context

The Canadian government has identified quantum technology as one of the major growth opportunities for research, development, and industry in the coming years. In 2017, McKinsey and Co. ranked Canada 5th globally in total annual expenditures on quantum science ($100M Euros) and 1st among G7 nations in per-capita spending on quantum research. In tune with the development strategies of other leading nations, Canada’s government departments and granting organizations are driving research excellence and commercialization with strategic investments. For example, Canada and the UK have established a partnership to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technologies. Recognizing their likely role as early adopters of quantum technology, Communications Security Establishment, Canadian Space Agency, and Defence Research and Development Canada are also investing in multiple areas.

Photonic quantum technology is one of the promising approaches to quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum computation. The technology relies on efficient, high-rate, and precise photon generation, modulation, and detection. Photon-generation schemes are capable of creating multi-photon states which can be used for novel applications in quantum technology. Commercially available photon detectors have so far enabled single photon detection. Multi-photon states can be measured by multiplexing several single-photon detectors, but this method operates with probabilistic success rates and is therefore not scalable. The limitation in measuring photon number states is currently preventing us from encoding and processing quantum information in the photon number basis. Eliminating this limitation will allow us to generate and characterize multi-photon states, with significant impact in quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum computation.

ENQUIRIES

All enquiries must be submitted in writing to TPSGC.SIC-ISC.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca no later than ten calendar days before the Challenge Notice closing date. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.