Infrared Photon-Number-Resolving Imager Using a Skipper Charge-Coupled Device

PEARS STEFANO, QUIMEY; MAGNONI, A; ESTRADA, J; IEMMI, C; RODRIGUES, D; TIFFENBERG, J

Physical Review Applied

American Physical Society

Año: 2023

in elds as diverse as Quantum Metrology and Astronomy. Achieving high signal-to-noise ratios inquantum imaging leads to surpassing the classical limit in parameter estimation. In astronomical de-tection, the search for habitable exoplanets demands imaging in the infrared its atmospheres lookingfor biosignatures. These optical applications are hampered by detection noise, which critically limitstheir potential, and thus demands photon-number and spatial resolution detectors. Here we reportan imaging device in the infrared wavelength range able to arbitrarily reduce the readout noise. Webuilt a Measured Exposure Skipper-CCD Sensor Instrument equipped with a thick back-illuminatedsensor, with photon-number-resolving capability in a wide dynamic range, spatial resolution, highquantum eciency in the near-infrared and ultra-low dark counts. This device allows us to imageobjects in a broad range of intensities within the same frame and, by reducing the readout noiseto less than 0.2e􀀀, to distinguish even those shapes with less than two photons per pixel, unveilingwhat was previously hidden in the noise. These results pave the way for building high-standardinfrared imagers based on Skipper-CCDs.