  As quantum information science and technology (QIST) is becoming more
prevalent and occurring not only in research labs but also in industry, many
educators are considering how best to incorporate learning about quantum
mechanics into various levels of education. Although much of the focus has been
on quantum concepts in non-lab courses, current work in QIST has a substantial
experimental component. Many instructors of undergraduate lab courses want to
provide their students the opportunity to work with quantum experiments. One
common way this is done is through a sequence of quantum optics experiments
often referred to as the ``single-photon experiments.'' These experiments
demonstrate fundamental quantum phenomena with equipment common to research
labs; however, they are resource intensive and cannot be afforded by all
institutions. It is therefore imperative to know what unique affordances these
experiments provide to students. As a starting point, we surveyed and
interviewed instructors who use the single-photon experiments in undergraduate
courses, asking how and why they use the experiments. We describe the most
commonly used experiments in both quantum and beyond-first-year lab courses,
the prevalence of actions the students perform, and the learning goals, ranging
from conceptual knowledge to lab skills to student affect. Finally, we present
some strategies from these data demonstrating how instructors have addressed
the common challenges of preparing students to work with conceptually and
technically complex experiments and balancing the practice of technical skills
with the completion of the experiments.
