Abstract: A new type of ultra-high-speed single-photon counter for visible and near-infrared wavebands based on an ultrathin NbN hot-electron photodetector (HEP) has been developed. The detector consists of a very narrow superconducting stripe, biased close to its critical current. An incoming photon absorbed by the stripe produces a resistive hotspot and causes an increase in the film’s supercurrent density above the critical value, leading to temporary formation of a resistive barrier across the device and an easily measurable voltage pulse. Our NbN HEP is an ultrafast (estimated response time is 30 ps; registered time, due to apparatus limitations, is 150 ps), frequency unselective device with very large intrinsic gain and negligible dark counts. We have observed sequences of output pulses, interpreted as single-photon events for very weak laser beams with wavelengths ranging from 0.5 /spl mu/m to 2.1 /spl mu/m and the signal-to-noise ratio of about 30 dB.

Abstract: We report our studies on spectral sensitivity and time resolution of superconducting NbN thin film single-photon detectors (SPDs). Our SPDs exhibit an everimentally measured detection efficiencies (DE) from — 0.2% at 2=1550 nm up to —3% at lambda=405 nm wavelength for 10-nm film thickness devices and up to 3.5% at lambda=1550 nm for 3.5-nm film thickness devices. Spectral dependences of detection efficiency (DE) at 2=0.4 —3.0 pm range are presented. With variable optical delay setup, it is shown that NbN SPD potentially can resolve optical pulses with the repetition rate up to 10 GHz at least. The observed full width at the half maximum (FWHM) of the signal pulse is about 150-180 ps, limited by read-out electronics. The jitter of NbN SPD is measured to be —35 ps at optimum biasing.

Abstract: Bolometdcmucers based on Nb and NbN superconducting thin films in the resistive state have been prepared for 20, 100 GHz and 350-500 GHz operation. The mixing mechanism is presumably of electron heating origin. Our measurements indicate that a conversion loss of about 6-8 dB can rather easily be achieved, and that the noise is reasonably low. The requirements on the operation mode and on the film parameters in order to obtain small conversion losses or even gain are discussed. For NbN films the availability of nearly 1 GHz IF bandwidth is experimentally demonstrated. NbN hot-electron mucers combined with slot-line tapered antenna on Si membrane or with double-dipole antenna on SiO^ substrate have been fabricated. The devices we study are considered to be very promising for use in heterodyne receivers from microwaves to terahertz frequencies.

Abstract: The kinetics of binding of free carriers'into excitons under stationary and nonstationary conditions is studied by investigating the submillimeter photoconductivity of Ge in a wide range of temperatures and of excitation levels. It is shown that the absolute values and the temperature dependence of the binding cross section (o- T-'.' ) can be satisfactorily described by the cascade recombination theory. The value of o and its temperature dependence differ significantly from the cross sections, measured in the same manner, for capture by attracting small impurities. Under nonstationary conditions, just as in the case of recombination with shallow impurities, a signifi- cant role is played by the sticking of the carriers in highly excited states.

Abstract: The effect of heating electrons with respect to phonons in a thin superconducting film driven into the resistive state by the current and the external magnetic field has been observed and investigated. This effect caused by the electromagnetic radiation is manifested in the increased resistance of the film and is not selective over the frequency range from 1010 to 1015 Hz. That the effect is frequency independent under the conditions of strong electron scattering caused by static defects is explained by the decisive role of electron -electron collisions in forming the distribution function. The characteristic time of resistance change, obtained experimentally, corresponds to the relaxation time of the order parameter near the superconducting transition and to the relaxation time of the nonelastic electron-phonon interaction at lower temperatures and in lower magnetic fields.