A complete quantum process model for physically realistic photo-detection in the joint photon-number and spectral degrees of freedom
Abstract
Photo-detection is a fundamental component of experimental photonics, yet theoretical models often treat detectors solely in the photon-number basis, neglecting other relevant degrees of freedom such as spectral characteristics. We present a complete quantum process model for physically realistic photodetection that incorporates both photon-number effects and frequency-dependent detector response, described through explicitly derived Kraus operators in the operator-sum representation. This formalism accommodates realistic inefficiencies, models detection within finite spectral windows, and can be directly substituted for idealized models in quantum optical analyses. The model leads to identifying the suitable detection window of the detectors relative to the spectral distribution of incident photons and conversely, in order to maximize the observability of quantum effects.
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BibTeX
@misc{rafi2026complete,
title = {{A complete quantum process model for physically realistic photo-detection in the joint photon-number and spectral degrees of freedom}},
author = {Sadia Rafi and Aeysha Khalique},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.18267},
eprint = {2610.18267},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.18267},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A complete quantum process model for physically realistic photo-detection in the joint photon-number and spectral degrees of freedom
AU - Sadia Rafi
AU - Aeysha Khalique
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.18267
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.18267
AB - Photo-detection is a fundamental component of experimental photonics, yet theoretical models often treat detectors solely in the photon-number basis, neglecting other relevant degrees of freedom such as spectral characteristics. We present a complete quantum process model for physically realistic photodetection that incorporates both photon-number effects and frequency-dependent detector response, described through explicitly derived Kraus operators in the operator-sum representation. This formalism accommodates realistic inefficiencies, models detection within finite spectral windows, and can be directly substituted for idealized models in quantum optical analyses. The model leads to identifying the suitable detection window of the detectors relative to the spectral distribution of incident photons and conversely, in order to maximize the observability of quantum effects.
ER -