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Author Gol’tsman, G.; Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Lipatov, A.; Dzardanov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Semenov, A.; Voronov, B.; Williams, C.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Fabrication and properties of an ultrafast NbN hot-electron single-photon detector Type Journal Article
Year 2001 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.
Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 574-577
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
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.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1558-2515 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1547
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Author Sobolewski, R.; Verevkin, A.; Gol'tsman, G.N.; Lipatov, A.; Wilsher, K.
Title Ultrafast superconducting single-photon optical detectors and their applications Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 1151-1157
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We present a new class of ultrafast single-photon detectors for counting both visible and infrared photons. The detection mechanism is based on photon-induced hotspot formation, which forces the supercurrent redistribution and leads to the appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin, submicrometer-width, superconducting stripe. The devices were fabricated from 3.5-nm- and 10-nm-thick NbN films, patterned into <200-nm-wide stripes in the 4 /spl times/ 4-/spl mu/m/sup 2/ or 10 /spl times/ 10-/spl mu/m/sup 2/ meander-type geometry, and operated at 4.2 K, well below the NbN critical temperature (T/sub c/=10-11 K). Continuous-wave and pulsed-laser optical sources in the 400-nm-to 3500-nm-wavelength range were used to determine the detector performance in the photon-counting mode. Experimental quantum efficiency was found to exponentially depend on the photon wavelength, and for our best, 3.5-nm-thick, 100-/spl mu/m/sup 2/-area devices varied from >10% for 405-nm radiation to 3.5% for 1550-nm photons. The detector response time and jitter were /spl sim/100 ps and 35 ps, respectively, and were acquisition system limited. The dark counts were below 0.01 per second at optimal biasing. In terms of the counting rate, jitter, and dark counts, the NbN single-photon detectors significantly outperform their semiconductor counterparts. Already-identified applications for our devices range from noncontact testing of semiconductor CMOS VLSI circuits to free-space quantum cryptography and communications.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1051-8223 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 509
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Author Lipatov, A.; Okunev, O.; Smirnov, K.; Chulkova, G.; Korneev, A.; Kouminov, P.; Gol'tsman, G.; Zhang, J.; Slysz, W.; Verevkin, A.; Sobolewski, R.
Title An ultrafast NbN hot-electron single-photon detector for electronic applications Type Journal Article
Year 2002 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.
Volume 15 Issue 12 Pages 1689-1692
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD, QE, jitter, dark counts
Abstract We present the latest generation of our superconducting single-photon detector (SPD), which can work from ultraviolet to mid-infrared optical radiation wavelengths. The detector combines a high speed of operation and low jitter with high quantum efficiency (QE) and very low dark count level. The technology enhancement allows us to produce ultrathin (3.5 nm thick) structures that demonstrate QE hundreds of times better, at 1.55 μm, than previous 10 nm thick SPDs. The best, 10 × 10 μm2, SPDs demonstrate QE up to 5% at 1.55 μm and up to 11% at 0.86 μm. The intrinsic detector QE, normalized to the film absorption coefficient, reaches 100% at bias currents above 0.9 Ic for photons with wavelengths shorter than 1.3 μm.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 0953-2048 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1533
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Author Korneev, A.; Lipatov, A.; Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Smirnov, K.; Gol’tsman, G.; Zhang, J.; Slysz, W.; Verevkin, A.; Sobolewski, R.
Title GHz counting rate NbN single-photon detector for IR diagnostics of VLSI CMOS circuits Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication Microelectronic Engineering Abbreviated Journal Microelectronic Engineering
Volume 69 Issue 2-4 Pages 274-278
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD, applications
Abstract We present a new, simple to manufacture superconducting single-photon detector operational in the range from ultraviolet to mid-infrared radiation wavelengths. The detector combines GHz counting rate, high quantum efficiency and very low level of dark (false) counts. At 1.3–1.5 μm wavelength range our detector exhibits a quantum efficiency of 5–10%. The detector photoresponse voltage pulse duration was measured to be about 150 ps with jitter of 35 ps and both of them were limited mostly by our measurement equipment. In terms of quantum efficiency, dark counts level, speed of operation the detector surpasses all semiconductor counterparts and was successfully applied for CMOS integrated circuits diagnostics.
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ISSN (down) 0167-9317 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1511
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Author Gol’tsman, G. N.; Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Lipatov, A.; Semenov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Voronov, B.; Dzardanov, A.; Williams, C.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Picosecond superconducting single-photon optical detector Type Journal Article
Year 2001 Publication Appl. Phys. Lett. Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.
Volume 79 Issue 6 Pages 705-707
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We experimentally demonstrate a supercurrent-assisted, hotspot-formation mechanism for ultrafast detection and counting of visible and infrared photons. A photon-induced hotspot leads to a temporary formation of a resistive barrier across the superconducting sensor strip and results in an easily measurable voltage pulse. Subsequent hotspot healing in ∼30 ps time frame, restores the superconductivity (zero-voltage state), and the detector is ready to register another photon. Our device consists of an ultrathin, very narrow NbN strip, maintained at 4.2 K and current-biased close to the critical current. It exhibits an experimentally measured quantum efficiency of ∼20% for 0.81 μm wavelength photons and negligible dark counts.
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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 (down) 0003-6951 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1543
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