Postdoctoral researchers Sarah Odinotsky and Jack DeGouyer from the University of Waterloo’s Quantum Computing Institute and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are working on developing an ultra-sensitive camera designed to detect individual photons.
The importance of their ambitious project was further reinforced by the fact that they both received prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for their separate yet complementary research.
Odinotsky is a member of the Quantum Photonic Devices Laboratory, led by Dr. Michael Reimer. Her research focuses on developing sensors that can detect single photons, the fundamental unit of light. By designing precisely structured metamaterials, she aims to collect individual photons and convert them into a measurable electronic signal.
“If you throw a snowball off a cliff, it starts rolling down and creates an avalanche. The structures inside our metamaterials can efficiently generate an electron from a single absorbed photon, and then multiply that electron into millions of electrons, creating an ‘avalanche’ of electric current . “
Dr. Sarah Odinotsky, Research Associate, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo
In the same lab, DeGooyer hopes to use these sensors to build fully functional cameras. To achieve this, he is developing a microchip that can process and monitor the weak signals generated by the sensors.
What I do is create scales the width of a human hair, and these scales count the electrons that pass through them .
Dr. Jack DeGouyer, Research Fellow, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Quantum Computing Institute, University of Waterloo
A key step in this process is scaling each sensor into a system that can capture detailed images with near-perfect sensitivity.
The technology has many impactful applications, from astronomy to quantum computing. One of the team’s main motivations was its potential use in medical imaging. They believe that their system could enable more accurate detection of cancer cells, leading to faster diagnosis and improved treatment options.
The two Vanier Awards not only highlight the promise of this research, but also the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing new discoveries.
This is an affirmation of the research and different philosophies that Sarah and I brought to this project .
Dr. Jack DeGouyer, Research Fellow, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Quantum Computing Institute, University of Waterloo
Building the perfect quantum camera | #GlobalFutures #UWaterloo #Shorts
Video source: University of Waterloo
