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Author de Lara, D. Perez; Ejrnaes, M.; Casaburi, A.; Lisitskiy, M.; Cristiano, R.; Pagano, S.; Gaggero, A.; Leoni, R.; Golt’sman, G.; Voronov, B. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Feasibility investigation of NbN nanowires as detector in time-of-flight mass spectrometers for macromolecules of interest in biology (proteins) Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication J. Low Temp. Phys. Abbreviated Journal J. Low Temp. Phys.  
  Volume 151 Issue 3-4 Pages 771-776  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD, nanowires  
  Abstract (down) We are investigating the possibility of using NbN nanowires as detectors in time-of-flight mass spectrometers for investigation of macromolecules of interest in biology (proteins). NbN nanowires could overcome the two major drawbacks encountered so far by cryogenic detectors, namely the low working temperature in the mK region and the slow temporal response. In fact, NbN nanowires can work at 5 K and the response time is at least a factor 10–100 better than that of other cryogenic detectors. We present a feasibility study based on a numerical code to calculate the response of a NbN nanowire. The parameter space is investigated at different energies from IR to macromolecules (i.e. from eV to keV) in order to understand if larger value of film thickness and width can be used for the keV energy region. We also present preliminary experimental results of irradiation with X-ray photons of NbN to simulate the effect of macromolecules of the same energy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-2291 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1410  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Semenov, A.; Engel, A.; Il'in, K.; Gol'tsman, G.; Siegel, M.; Hübers, H.-W. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Ultimate performance of a superconducting quantum detector Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. Abbreviated Journal Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys.  
  Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 171-178  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) We analyze the ultimate performance of a superconducting quantum detector in order to meet requirements for applications in near-infrared astronomy and X-ray spectroscopy. The detector exploits a combined detection mechanism, in which avalanche quasiparticle multiplication and the supercurrent jointly produce a voltage response to a single absorbed photon via successive formation of a photon-induced and a current-induced normal hotspot in a narrow superconducting strip. The response time of the detector should increase with the photon energy providing energy resolution. Depending on the superconducting material and operation conditions, the cut-off wavelength for the single-photon detection regime varies from infrared waves to visible light. We simulated the performance of the background-limited infrared direct detector and X-ray photon counter utilizing the above mechanism. Low dark count rate and intrinsic low-frequency cut-off allow for realizing a background limited noise equivalent power of 10−20 W Hz−1/2 for a far-infrared direct detector exposed to 4-K background radiation. At low temperatures, the intrinsic response time of the counter is rather determined by diffusion of nonequilibrium electrons than by the rate of energy transfer to phonons. Therefore, thermal fluctuations do not hamper energy resolution of the X-ray photon counter that should be better than 10−3 for 6-keV photons. Comparison of new data obtained with a Nb based detector and previously reported results on NbN quantum detectors support our estimates of ultimate detector performance.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1286-0042 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 534  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Il’in, K. S.; Milostnaya, I. I.; Verevkin, A. A.; Gol’tsman, G. N.; Gershenzon, E. M.; Sobolewski, R. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Ultimate quantum efficiency of a superconducting hot-electron photodetector Type Journal Article
  Year 1998 Publication Appl. Phys. Lett. Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.  
  Volume 73 Issue 26 Pages 3938-3940  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) The quantum efficiency and current and voltage responsivities of fast hot-electron photodetectors, fabricated from superconducting NbN thin films and biased in the resistive state, have been shown to reach values of 340, 220 A/W, and 4×104 V/W,

respectively, for infrared radiation with a wavelength of 0.79 μm. The characteristics of the photodetectors are presented within the general model, based on relaxation processes in the nonequilibrium electron heating of a superconducting thin film. The observed, very high efficiency and sensitivity of the superconductor absorbing the photon are explained by the high multiplication rate of quasiparticles during the avalanche breaking of Cooper pairs.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0003-6951 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1579  
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Author Lindgren, M.; Currie, M.; Zeng, W.-S.; Sobolewski, R.; Cherednichenko, S.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G. N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Picosecond response of a superconducting hot-electron NbN photodetector Type Journal Article
  Year 1998 Publication Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal Appl. Supercond.  
  Volume 6 Issue 7-9 Pages 423-428  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) The ps optical response of ultrathin NbN photodetectors has been studied by electro-optic sampling. The detectors were fabricated by patterning ultrathin (3.5 nm thick) NbN films deposited on sapphire by reactive magnetron sputtering into either a 5×10 μm2 microbridge or 25 1 μm wide, 5 μm long strips connected in parallel. Both structures were placed at the center of a 4 mm long coplanar waveguide covered with Ti/Au. The photoresponse was studied at temperatures ranging from 2.15 K to 10 K, with the samples biased in the resistive (switched) state and illuminated with 100 fs wide laser pulses at 395 nm wavelength. At T=2.15 K, we obtained an approximately 100 ps wide transient, which corresponds to a NbN detector response time of 45 ps. The photoresponse can be attributed to the nonequilibrium electron heating effect, where the incident radiation increases the temperature of the electron subsystem, while the phonons act as the heat sink. The high-speed response of NbN devices makes them an excellent choice for an optoelectronic interface for superconducting digital circuits, as well as mixers for the terahertz regime. The multiple-strip detector showed a linear dependence on input optical power and a responsivity =3.9 V/W.  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0964-1807 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1584  
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Author Smirnov, K.; Divochiy, A.; Vakhtomin, Y.; Morozov, P.; Zolotov, P.; Antipov, A.; Seleznev, V. url  doi
openurl 
  Title NbN single-photon detectors with saturated dependence of quantum efficiency Type Journal Article
  Year 2018 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.  
  Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 035011 (1 to 8)  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) The possibility of creating NbN superconducting single-photon detectors with saturated dependence of quantum efficiency (QE) versus normalized bias current was investigated. It was shown that the saturation increases for the detectors based on finer films with a lower value of Rs300/Rs20. The decreasing of Rs300/Rs20 was related to the increasing influence of quantum corrections to conductivity of superconductors and, in turn, to the decrease of the electron diffusion coefficient. The best samples have a constant value of system QE 94% at Ib/Ic ~ 0.8 and wavelength 1310 nm.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0953-2048 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1232  
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Author Verevkin, A.; Pearlman, A.; Slysz, W.; Zhang, J.; Currie, M.; Korneev, A.; Chulkova, G.; Okunev, O.; Kouminov, P.; Smirnov, K.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G. N.; Sobolewski, R. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors for near-infrared-wavelength quantum communications Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication J. Modern Opt. Abbreviated Journal J. Modern Opt.  
  Volume 51 Issue 9-10 Pages 1447-1458  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) The paper reports progress on the design and development of niobium-nitride, superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) for ultrafast counting of near-infrared photons for secure quantum communications. The SSPDs operate in the quantum detection mode, based on photon-induced hotspot formation and subsequent appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron-width superconducting stripe. The devices are fabricated from 3.5 nm thick NbN films and kept at cryogenic (liquid helium) temperatures inside a cryostat. The detector experimental quantum efficiency in the photon-counting mode reaches above 20% in the visible radiation range and up to 10% at the 1.3–1.55 μn infrared range. The dark counts are below 0.01 per second. The measured real-time counting rate is above 2 GHz and is limited by readout electronics (the intrinsic response time is below 30 ps). The SSPD jitter is below 18 ps, and the best-measured value of the noise-equivalent power (NEP) is 2 × 10−18 W/Hz1/2. at 1.3 μm. In terms of photon-counting efficiency and speed, these NbN SSPDs significantly outperform semiconductor avalanche photodiodes and photomultipliers.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0950-0340 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1488  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lusche, Robert; Semenov, Alexey; Huebers, Heinz-Willhelm; Ilin, Konstantin; Siegel, Michael; Korneeva, Yuliya; Trifonov, Andrey; Korneev, Alexander; Goltsman, Gregory url  openurl
  Title Effect of the wire geometry and an externally applied magnetic field on the detection efficiency of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors Type Abstract
  Year 2013 Publication INIS Abbreviated Journal INIS  
  Volume 46 Issue 8 Pages 1-3  
  Keywords TaN, NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) The interest in single-photon detectors in the near-infrared wavelength regime for applications, e.g. in quantum cryptography has immensely increased in the last years. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) already show quite reasonable detection efficiencies in the NIR which can even be further improved. Novel theoretical approaches including vortex-assisted photon counting state that the detection efficiency in the long wavelength region can be enhanced by the detector geometry and an applied magnetic field. We present spectral measurements in the wavelength range from 350-2500 nm of the detection efficiency of meander-type TaN and NbN SNSPD with varying nanowire line width from 80 to 250 nm. Due to the used experimental setup we can accurately normalize the measured spectra and are able to extract the intrinsic detection efficiency (IDE) of our detectors. The results clearly indicate an improvement of the IDE depending on the wire width according to the theoretic models. Furthermore we experimentally found that the smallest detectable photon-flux can be increased by applying a small magnetic field to the detectors.  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1374  
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Author Zhang, J.; Boiadjieva, N.; Chulkova, G.; Deslandes, H.; Gol'tsman, G. N.; Korneev, A.; Kouminov, P.; Leibowitz, M.; Lo, W.; Malinsky, R.; Okunev, O.; Pearlman, A.; Slysz, W.; Smirnov, K.; Tsao, C.; Verevkin, A.; Voronov, B.; Wilsher, K.; Sobolewski, R. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Noninvasive CMOS circuit testing with NbN superconducting single-photon detectors Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Electron. Lett. Abbreviated Journal Electron. Lett.  
  Volume 39 Issue 14 Pages 1086-1088  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD, applications  
  Abstract (down) The 3.5 nm thick-film, meander-structured NbN superconducting single-photon detectors have been implemented in the CMOS circuit-testing system based on the detection of near-infrared photon emission from switching transistors and have significantly improved the performance of the system. Photon emissions from both p- and n-MOS transistors have been observed.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0013-5194 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1512  
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Author Korneev, A.; Minaeva, O.; Rubtsova, I.; Milostnaya, I.; Chulkova, G.; Voronov, B.; Smirnov, K.; Seleznev, V.; Gol'tsman, G.; Pearlman, A.; Slysz, W.; Cross, A.; Alvarez, P.; Verevkin, A.; Sobolewski, R. doi  openurl
  Title Superconducting single-photon ultrathin NbN film detector Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Quantum Electronics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 35 Issue 8 Pages 698-700  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Superconducting single-photon ultrathin NbN film detectors are studied. The development of manufacturing technology of detectors and the reduction of their operating temperature down to 2 K resulted in a considerable increase in their quantum efficiency, which reached in the visible region (at 0.56 μm) 30%—40%, i.e., achieved the limit determined by the absorption coefficient of the film. The quantum efficiency exponentially decreases with increasing wavelength, being equal to ~20% at 1.55 μm and ~0.02% at 5 μm. For the dark count rate of ~10-4s-1, the experimental equivalent noise power was 1.5×10-20 W Hz-1/2; it can be decreased in the future down to the record low value of 5×10-21 W Hz-1/2. The time resolution of the detector is 30 ps.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Сверхпроводящий однофотонный детектор на основе ультратонкой пленки NbN Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 383  
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Author Korneev, A.; Korneeva, Y.; Florya, I.; Voronov, B.; Goltsman, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detector for mid-infrared Type Journal Article
  Year 2012 Publication Phys. Procedia Abbreviated Journal Phys. Procedia  
  Volume 36 Issue Pages 72-76  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPD) is typically 100 nm-wide supercondiucting strip in a shape of meander made of 4-nm-thick film. To reduce response time and increase voltage response a parallel connection of the strips was proposed. Recently we demonstrated that reduction of the strip width improves the quantum effciency of such a detector at wavelengths longer than 1.5 μm. Being encourage by this progress in quantum effciency we improved the fabrication process and made parallel-wire SSPD with 40-nm-wide strips covering total area of 10 μm x 10 μm. In this paper we present the results of the characterization of such a parallel-wire SSPD at 10.6 μm wavelength and demonstrate linear dependence of the count rate on the light power as it should be in case of single-photon response.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1875-3892 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1382  
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Author Korneev, A. A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Superconducting NbN microstrip single-photon detectors Type Abstract
  Year 2021 Publication Proc. Quantum Optics and Photon Counting Abbreviated Journal Proc. Quantum Optics and Photon Counting  
  Volume 11771 Issue Pages  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors (SSPD) invented two decades ago have evolved to a mature technology and have become devices of choice in the advanced applications of quantum optics, such as quantum cryptography and optical quantum computing. In these applications SSPDs are coupled to single-mode fibers and feature almost unity detection efficiency, negligible dark counts, picosecond timing jitter and MHz photon count rate. Meanwhile, there are great many applications requiring coupling to multi-mode fibers or free space. ‘Classical’ SSPDs with 100-nm-wide superconducting strip and covering area of about 100 µm2 are not suitable for further scaling due to degradation of performance and low fabrication yield. Recently we have demonstrated single-photon counting in micron-wide superconducting bridges and strips. Here we present our approach to the realization of practical photon-counting detectors of large enough area to be efficiently coupled to multi-mode fibers or free space. The detector is either a meander or a spiral of 1-µm-wide strip covering an area of 50x50 µm2. Being operated at 1.7K temperature it demonstrates the saturated detection efficiency (i.e. limited by the absorption in the detector) up to 1550 nm wavelength, about 10 ns dead time and timing jitter in range 50-100 ps.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Prochazka, I.; Štefaňák, M.; Sobolewski, R.; Gábris, A.  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference Quantum Optics and Photon Counting; SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics, 2021, Online Only  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1784  
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Author Korneev, A.; Korneeva, Y.; Florya, I.; Voronov, B.; Goltsman, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Spectral sensitivity of narrow strip NbN superconducting single-photon detector Type Conference Article
  Year 2011 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE  
  Volume 8072 Issue Pages 80720G (1 to 9)  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) is patterned from 4-nm-thick NbN film deposited on sapphire substrate as a 100-nm-wide strip. Due to its high detection efficiency, low dark counts, and picosecond timing jitter SSPD has become a competitor to the InGaAs avalanche photodiodes at 1550 nm and longer wavelengths. Although the SSPD is operated at liquid helium temperature its efficient single-mode fibre coupling enabled its usage in many applications ranging from single-photon sources research to quantum cryptography. In our strive to increase the detection efficiency at 1550 nm and longer wavelengths we developed and fabricated SSPD with the strip almost twice narrower compared to the standard 100 nm. To increase the voltage response of the device we utilized cascade switching mechanism: we connected 50-nm-wide and 10-μm-long strips in parallel covering the area of 10 μmx10 μm. Absorption of a photon breaks the superconductivity in a strip leading to the bias current redistribution between other strips followed their cascade switching. As the total current of all the strips about is 1 mA by the order of magnitude the response voltage of such an SSPD is several times higher compared to the traditional meander-shaped SSPDs. In middle infrared (about 3 μm wavelength) these devices have the detection efficiency several times higher compared to the traditional SSPDs.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Fiurásek, J.; Prochazka, I.  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference Photon Counting Applications, Quantum Optics, and Quantum Information Transfer and Processing III  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1387  
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Author Xu, Y.; Zheng, X.; Williams, C.; Verevkin, A.; Sobolewski, R.; Chulkova, G.; Lipatov, A.; Okunev, O.; Smirnov, K.; Gol’tsman, G. N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Ultrafast superconducting hot-electron single-photon detector Type Conference Article
  Year 2001 Publication CLEO Abbreviated Journal CLEO  
  Volume Issue Pages 345  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Summary form only given. The current most-pressing need is to develop a practical, GHz-range counting single-photon detector, operational at either 1.3-/spl mu/m or 1.55-/spl mu/m radiation wavelength, for novel quantum communication and quantum cryptography systems. The presented solution of the problem is to use an ultrafast hot-electron photodetector, based on superconducting thin-film microstructures. This type of device is very promising, due to the macroscopic quantum nature of superconductors. Very fast response time and the small, (meV range) value of the superconducting energy gap characterize the superconductor, leading to the efficient avalanche process even for infrared photons.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference Technical Digest. Summaries of papers presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics. Postconference Technical Digest (IEEE Cat. No.01CH37170)  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1545  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Antipov, A. V.; Seleznev, V. A.; Vakhtomin, Y. B.; Morozov, P. V.; Vasilev, D. D.; Malevannaya, E. I.; Moiseev, K. M.; Smirnov, K. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Investigation of WSi and NbN superconducting single-photon detectors in mid-IR range Type Conference Article
  Year 2020 Publication IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. Abbreviated Journal IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng.  
  Volume 781 Issue Pages 012011 (1 to 5)  
  Keywords WSi, NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Spectral characteristics of WSi and NbN superconducting single-photon detectors with different surface resistance and width of nanowire strips have been investigated in the wavelength range of 1.3-2.5 μm. WSi structures with narrower strips demonstrated better performance for detection of single photons in longer wavelength range. The difference in normalized photon count rate for such structures reaches one order of magnitude higher in comparison with structures based on NbN thin films at 2.5 μm.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1757-899X ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1799  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Milostnaya, I.; Antipov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Morozov, D.; Korneev, A.; Voronov, B.; Gol’tsman, G.; Stysz, W.; Wegrzecki, M.; Bar, J.; Grabiec, P.; Gorska, M.; Pearlman, A.; Cross, A.; Kitaygorsky, J.; Sobolewski, R. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Registration of infrared single photons by a two-channel receiver based on fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors Type Conference Article
  Year 2005 Publication Proc. 2-nd CAOL Abbreviated Journal Proc. 2-nd CAOL  
  Volume 2 Issue Pages 282-285  
  Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD  
  Abstract (down) Single-photon detectors (SPDs) are the foundation of all quantum communications (QC) protocols. Among different classes of SPDs currently studied, NbN superconducting SPDs (SSPDs) are established as the best devices for ultrafast counting of single photons in the infrared (IR) wavelength range. The SSPDs are nanostructured, 100 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ in total area, superconducting meanders, patterned by electron lithography in ultra-thin NbN films. Their operation has been explained within a phenomenological hot-electron photoresponse model. We present the design and performance of a novel, two-channel SPD receiver, based on two fiber-coupled NbN SSPDs. The receivers have been developed for fiber-based QC systems, operational at 1.3 /spl mu/m and 1.55 /spl mu/m telecommunication wavelengths. They operate in the temperature range from 4.2 K to 2 K, in which the NbN SSPDs exhibit their best performance. The receiver unit has been designed as a cryostat insert, placed inside a standard liquid-helium storage dewar. The input of the receiver consists of a pair of single-mode optical fibers, equipped with the standard FC connectors and kept at room temperature. Coupling between the SSPD and the fiber is achieved using a specially designed, precise micromechanical holder that places the fiber directly on top of the SSPD nanostructure. Our receivers achieve the quantum efficiency of up to 7% for near-IR photons, with the coupling efficiency of about 30%. The response time was measured to be <300 ps and it was limited by our read-out electronics. The jitter of fiber-coupled SSPDs is <35 ps and their dark-count rate is below 1 s/sup -1/. The presented performance parameters show that our single-photon receivers are fully applicable for quantum-correlation-type QC systems, including practical quantum cryptography.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference Second International Conference on Advanced Optoelectronics and Lasers  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1462  
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