Verevkin, A. A., Pearlman, A., Slysz, W., Zhang, J., Sobolewski, R., Chulkova, G., et al. (2003). Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors for infrared wavelength quantum communications. In E. Donkor, A. R. Pirich, & H. E. Brandt (Eds.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 5105, pp. 160–170). SPIE.
Abstract: We have developed a new class of superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) for ultrafast counting of infrared (IR) photons for secure quantum communications. The devices are operated on the quantum detection mechanism, based on the photon-induced hotspot formation and subsequent appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron-wide superconducting stripe. The detectors are fabricated from 3.5-nm-thick NbN films and they operate at 4.2 K inside a closed-cycle refrigerator or liquid helium cryostat. Various continuous and pulsed laser sources have been used in our experiments, enabling us to determine the detector experimental quantum efficiency (QE) in the photon-counting mode, response time, time jitter, and dark counts. Our 3.5-nm-thick SSPDs reached QE above 15% for visible light photons and 5% at 1.3 – 1.5 μm infrared range. The measured real-time counting rate was above 2 GHz and was limited by the read-out electronics (intrinsic response time is <30 ps). The measured jitter was <18 ps, and the dark counting rate was <0.01 per second. The measured noise equivalent power (NEP) is 2 x 10-18 W/Hz1/2 at λ = 1.3 μm. In near-infrared range, in terms of the counting rate, jitter, dark counts, and overall sensitivity, the NbN SSPDs significantly outperform their semiconductor counterparts. An ultrafast quantum cryptography communication technology based on SSPDs is proposed and discussed.
|
Vercruyssen, N., Verhagen, T. G. A., Flokstra, M. G., Pekola, J. P., & Klapwijk, T. M. (2012). Evanescent states and nonequilibrium in driven superconducting nanowires. Phys. Rev. B, 85, 224503(1–10).
Abstract: We study the nonlinear response of current transport in a superconducting diffusive nanowire between normal reservoirs. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the existence of two different superconducting states appearing when the wire is driven out of equilibrium by an applied bias, called the global and bimodal superconducting states. The different states are identified by using two-probe measurements of the wire, and measurements of the local density of states with tunneling probes. The analysis is performed within the framework of the quasiclassical kinetic equations for diffusive superconductors.
|
Venkatasubramanian, C., Cabarcos, O. M., Allara, D. L. H., Mark W., & Ashok, S. (2009). Correlation of temperature response and structure of annealed VOx thin films for IR detector applications. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 27(4), 6.
Abstract: The effects of thermal annealing on vanadium oxide (VOx) thin films prepared by pulsed-dc magnetron sputtering were studied to explore methods of improving the efficiency of uncooled IR imaging microbolometers, particularly with respect to maximizing the temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) (typically ~2%) while minimizing resistivity values (typically 0.05–5 Ω cm). Since high TCR values are usually associated with high resistivities, the experiments were designed to find processing conditions that provide an optimal balance in these properties and to then determine the underlying structural correlations which would enable rational design of thin films for this specific application. VOx films of different compositions were deposited by pulsed-dc reactive sputtering from a vanadium target at different oxygen flow rates. The deposited films were further modified by annealing in inert (nitrogen) and oxidizing (oxygen) atmospheres at four different temperatures for 10, 20, or 30 min at a time. The resistivities of the as-deposited films ranged from 0.2 to 13 Ω cm and the TCR values varied from –1.6% to –2.2%. Depending on the exact annealing conditions, several orders of magnitude change in resistance and significant variations in TCR were observed. Optimal results were obtained with annealing in a nitrogen atmosphere. Structural characterization by x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy indicated changes in the film crystallinity and phase for annealing conditions over 300 °C with the onset and extent of the changes dependent on which annealing atmosphere was used.
|
Venediktov, I. O., Elezov, M. S., Prokhodtsov, A. I., Kovalyuk, V. V., An, P. P., Golikov, A. D., et al. (2020). Study of microheater’s phase modulation for on-chip Kennedy receiver. In J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. (Vol. 1695, 012117).
Abstract: In this work we describe phase modulators for several Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI) on silicon nitride platform for telecomm wavelength (1550 nm). We obtained current-voltage and phase-voltage curves for these modulators. MZI are needed for experimental realisation of various quantum receivers that can distinguish weak coherent states of light with extremely low error. Thermo-optical (TO) modulation is ensured by microheaters on one of the arms of MZI, which enables the change of the refractive index of the material with temperature. This approach allows to apply the necessary voltage to the golden microheaters to obtain the required phase change. For the on-chip microheaters we demonstrate the dependence of the phase shift on the voltage applied to our on-chip microheaters.
|
Velusamy, T., Langer, W. D., Pineda, J. L., Goldsmith, P. F., Li, D., & Yorke, H. W. (2010). [CII] observations of H2 molecular layers in transition clouds. Astron. Astrophys., 521, L18.
Abstract: We present the first results on the diffuse transition clouds observed in [CII] line emission at 158 μm (1.9 THz) towards Galactic longitudes near 340° (5 LOSs) & 20° (11 LOSs) as part of the HIFI tests and GOT C+ survey. Out of the total 146 [CII] velocity components detected by profile fitting we identify 53 as diffuse molecular clouds with associated 12CO emission but without 13CO emission and characterized by AV < 5 mag. We estimate the fraction of the [CII] emission in the diffuse HI layer in each cloud and then determine the [CII] emitted from the molecular layers in the cloud. We show that the excess [CII] intensities detected in a few clouds is indicative of a thick H2 layer around the CO core. The wide range of clouds in our sample with thin to thick H2 layers suggests that these are at various evolutionary states characterized by the formation of H2 and CO layers from HI and C+, respectively. In about 30% of the clouds the H2 column densities (“dark gasâ€) traced by the [CII] is 50% or more than that traced by 12CO emission. On the average ~25% of the total H2 in these clouds is in an H2 layer which is not traced by CO. We use the HI, [CII], and 12CO intensities in each cloud along with simple chemical models to obtain constraints on the FUV fields and cosmic ray ionization rates.
|
