Researchers propose technique to detect microwave photons using point defects in diamond
Many experiments in quantum information processing rely on our ability to transmit, manipulate, or detect photons. In these applications, the wavelength of photons being detected can range from the infrared and visible light used in optical communication systems, to the microwave photons that superconducting quantum devices respond to. While a wide range of detectors are available for optical photons, detecting microwave photons is significantly more challenging due to the much lower energies of individual photons compared to the level of noise, including background light, in the world around us.