Chinese single-photon device claimed to unmask F-22 fighters
October 15, 2025
A Hong Kong newspaper claims that a new single-photon detector with laser radar capabilities could detect US stealth planes like the F-22. The development marks another step in the escalating US/Chinese arms race.
China’s SMCP claims ‘photon detector’ enters mass production
According to reporting by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), China is mass-producing a “next-gen quantum detector to track stealth aircraft like F-22.” The SCMP is a Hong Kong-based news outlet owned by the mainland Chinese tech giant Alibaba.
It was the SCMP that recently claimed a Chinese Chengdu J-20 fighter jet flew undetected by US and allied radar near South Korea.
The article says China has started mass producing the world’s “first ultra-low noise, single-photon detector.” The detector has four channels that are said to have uses ranging from daily communications to national defence. No indication of its range or real-world capabilities was given.
🇨🇳 China has started mass-producing a new four-channel “photon catcher” detector that could change the game in aerial warfare. Built in Anhui province, this advanced device can detect single photons with extremely low noise, a major step toward practical quantum radar systems.… pic.twitter.com/qajTQ44CFW
— Defense Intelligence (@DI313_) October 15, 2025
The gizmo is dubbed the “photon catcher” and is claimed to detect a single photon, which is the smallest unit of energy. The claim is that it can be used for stealth aircraft detection and tracking.
Emphasising military over commercial applications
The SCMP referenced a Chinese-language article reported in China’s Science and Technology Daily by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The article in question is entitled, “Global First Four-Channel Ultra-Low Noise Semiconductor Single-Photon Detector Lands in Hefei.”
That article claimed the device marked China’s entry into a leading position in single-photon detection technology. The publication says the detector is like an “eye” with superhuman vision, able to precisely capture and identify individual photons. It added that the detector is only one-ninth the size of single-channel international equivalents.
Fang Yuqiang, the head of the detector at QuantumCTek, is cited as saying the design boosts the maximum detection efficiency from 25% to 35%.
It also says it will provide a Chinese solution for projects like next-generation space-ground integrated quantum communication networks, deep-space exploration, and high-precision laser radar. It is the last point, laser radar (LiDAR), that is important.
Right underneath the nose of the F-35 is the most advanced radar system in production. It is called the Active Electronically Scanned Array, but referred to as AESA.
— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) July 27, 2023
Hear an F-35 test pilot explain more: pic.twitter.com/1lbDt3FY3J
While the Chinese article does not explicitly state it can be used for detecting stealth aircraft, it is believed that it is the main purpose and not an afterthought. SCMP clarifies the implication that it is built to detect the F-22’s extremely weak laser signals reflected due to its radar-absorbent materials. The F-22 has a radar cross-section of ~0.0001 m², making it nearly invisible to radar from certain aspects.
The new China/US Cold War
The United States and China have entered a new era of Great Power Competition, with both sides preparing for war with each other. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stated this multiple times with the Geopolitical Economy Report, quoting him as saying, “We are preparing for war” in reference to deterring China.
Both sides are optimising their air forces to counter the other. For example, the Chinese J-20 may not be able to take on an F-22 or F-35 one-on-one, but it has been designed with the range and stealth needed to threaten vital enablers like aerial tankers and radar aeroplanes.
At the same time, the US is rushing to extend the range of its fighter jets while urgently pushing the development of the sixth-generation F-47 fighter jet to ensure continued US air dominance as China rolls out ever more advanced, stealthy, and tailless designs.
Accompanying this is an information war. Some accounts are seeking to show China pulling ahead technologically, often focusing on automation in the country, including things like dancing robot dogs or visually impressive drone shows.
The F-47 designation was chosen in consultation with @secdef & carries multiple significant meanings. It honors the legacy of the P-47, whose contributions to air superiority during WW2 remain historic (1/2). pic.twitter.com/9X6nxlR6rT
— General David Allvin (@OfficialCSAF) March 21, 2025
While China is famously secretive, it has now displayed a growing list of advanced tailless next-generation fighters and stealthy drones. It is not always possible to tell if these are mockups, demonstrators, or prototypes.
By contrast, the US has taken the opposite approach. No images of secretive advanced reconnaissance drones have been made public, despite the massive RQ-180 Sentinel believed to have been in service for a decade. Three NGAD demonstrators flew for the Air Force in 2020, but no images are public; even the two official partial renderings are believed to feature misdirections.
Featured Image: Tech. Sgt. Nicolas Myers / USAF
