A photodetector converts light into an electrical signal, causing the light to be lost. Researchers led by Tracy Northup at the University of Innsbruck have now built a quantum sensor that can measure light particles non-destructively. It can be used to further investigate the quantum properties of light.
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Tau.Neutrino said:
Quantum sensor for photonsA photodetector converts light into an electrical signal, causing the light to be lost. Researchers led by Tracy Northup at the University of Innsbruck have now built a quantum sensor that can measure light particles non-destructively. It can be used to further investigate the quantum properties of light.
more…
I remember a very old (scientific american?) article called “take a photon” which was a thought experiment on single photon generation and nondestructive measurement. The method used was to reflect the photon off a mirror (or prism acting as a mirror). The mirror is delicately suspended, and a change in movement of the mirror is detected as energy and momentum is transferred from the photon to the mirror.
But this doesn’t violate the uncertainty principle because the properties of the photon are changed by the interaction.