High-efficiency photon detector
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorRichard J. Cook
Life of this patent
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Abstract
High efficiency method of detecting incident photons including illuminating a laser driven gaseous vapor with electromagnetic radiation enabling the excitation of an atom of the vapor upon absorption of an incident photon by the atom, introducing the incident photons into the vapor which is constituted to absorb the incident photons which in response, generates atomic fluroescence to in turn produce a long steam of secondary photons upon the absorption of an incident photon by an atom of the vapor and detecting the long stream of secondary photons with an ordinary low efficiency photo-detector.
Claims18
Method of detecting incident photons comprising the steps of:
- (a) illuminating a substance with electromagnetic radiation enabling the excitation of an atom of said substance upon absorption of an incident photon by said atom;
- (b) introducing said incident photons into said substance constituted to absorb said incident photons and which in response thereto generates atomic fluorescence, which in turn produces long streams of secondary photons upon the absorption of incident photons by atoms of said substance;
- and
- (c) detecting said long streams of secondary photons produced in accordance with step (b).
Apparatus for detecting incident photons comprising:
- (a) means for illuminating a substance with electromagnetic radiation enabling the excitation of an atom of said substance upon absorption of an incident photon by said atom;
- (b) means for introducing said incident photons into said substance which is constituted to absorb said incident photons and which in response thereto generates atomic fluorescence which in turn produces a long stream of secondary photons upon the absorption of an incident photon by an atom of said substance;
- and
- (c) a detector for detecting said long stream of secondary photons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.