A balanced homodyne detection scheme with nanosecond time resolution and sub-shot-noise sensitivity has been developed and successfully tested yielding an efficient detection scheme for high-speed quantum-optical measurements and communication protocols, for example, quantum cryptography. The parameters of the detector and its precise balancing allow complete characterization of quantum states created by femtosecond light pulses that include the measurement of photon number, optical phase, and statistical properties with a high signal-to-noise ratio for the whole bandwidth from DC to several tens of megahertz. The electronic part of the detector is based on a commercially available amplifier that provides ease of construction and use while yielding good performance.
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