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Semenov, A. D., Hübers, H. - W., Gol’tsman, G. N., & Smirnov, K. (2002). Superconducting quantum detector for astronomy and X-ray spectroscopy. In J. Pekola, B. Ruggiero, & P. Silvestrini (Eds.), Proc. Int. Workshop on Supercond. Nano-Electronics Devices (pp. 201–210). Boston, MA: Springer.
Abstract: We propose the novel concept of ultra-sensitive energy-dispersive superconducting quantum detectors prospective for applications in astronomy and X-ray spectroscopy. Depending on the superconducting material and operation conditions, such detector may allow realizing background limited noise equivalent power 10−21 W Hz−1/2 in the terahertz range when exposed to 4-K background radiation or counting of 6-keV photon with almost 10—4 energy resolution. Planar layout and relatively simple technology favor integration of elementary detectors into a detector array.
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Okunev, O., Smirnov, K., Chulkova, G., Korneev, A., Lipatov, A., Gol'tsman, G., et al. (2002). Ultrafast NBN hot-electron single-photon detectors for electronic applications. In Abstracts 8-th IUMRS-ICEM.
Abstract: We present a new, simple to manufacture, single-photon detector (SPD), which can work from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths of optical radiation and combines high speed of operation, high quantum efficiency (QE), and very low dark counts. The devices are superconducting and operate at temperature below 5 K. The physics of operation of our SPD is based on formation of a photon-induced resistive hotspot and subsequent appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron-wide superconductor.
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Verevkin, A., Xu, Y., Zheng, X., Williams, C., Sobolewski, R., Okunev, O., et al. (2001). Superconducting NbN-based ultrafast hot-electron single-photon detector for infrared range. In Proc. 12th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 462–468).
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Xu, Y., Zheng, X., Williams, C., Verevkin, A., Sobolewski, R., Chulkova, G., et al. (2001). Ultrafast superconducting hot-electron single-photon detector. In CLEO (345).
Abstract: 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.
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Gol’tsman, G. N. (2014). Overview of recent results for superconducting NbN terahertz and optical detectors and mixers.
Abstract: We present our recent achievements in the development of sensitive and ultrafast thin-film superconducting sensors: hot-electron bolometers (HEB), HEB-mixers for terahertz range and infrared single-photon counters. These sensors have already demonstrated a performance that makes them devices-of-choice for many terahertz and optical applications.
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Zhang, J., Verevkin, A., Slysz, W., Chulkova, G., Korneev, A., Lipatov, A., et al. (2017). Time-resolved characterization of NbN superconducting single-photon optical detectors. In J. C. Armitage (Ed.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 10313, 103130F (1 to 3)). SPIE.
Abstract: NbN superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) are very promising devices for their picosecond response time, high intrinsic quantum efficiency, and high signal-to-noise ratio within the radiation wavelength from ultraviolet to near infrared (0.4 gm to 3 gm) [1-3]. The single photon counting property of NbN SSPDs have been investigated thoroughly and a model of hotspot formation has been introduced to explain the physics of the photon- counting mechanism [4-6]. At high incident flux density (many-photon pulses), there are, of course, a large number of hotspots simultaneously formed in the superconducting stripe. If these hotspots overlap with each other across the width w of the stripe, a resistive barrier is formed instantly and a voltage signal can be generated. We assume here that the stripe thickness d is less than the electron diffusion length, so the hotspot region can be considered uniform. On the other hand, when the photon flux is so low that on average only one hotspot is formed across w at a given time, the formation of the resistive barrier will be realized only when the supercurrent at sidewalks surpasses the critical current (jr) of the superconducting stripe [1]. In the latter situation, the formation of the resistive barrier is associated with the phase-slip center (PSC) development. The effect of PSCs on the suppression of superconductivity in nanowires has been discussed very recently [8, 9] and is the subject of great interest.
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Verevkin, A., Zhang, J., Pearlman, A., Slysz, W., Sobolewski, R., Korneev, A., et al. (2004). Ultimate sensitivity of superconducting single-photon detectors in the visible to infrared range.
Abstract: We present our quantum efficiency (QE) and noise equivalent power (NEP) measurements of the meandertype ultrathin NbN superconducting single-photon detector in the visible to infrared radiation range. The nanostructured devices with 3.5-nm film thickness demonstrate QE up to~ 10% at 1.3–1.55 µm wavelength, and up to 20% in the entire visible range. The detectors are sensitive to infrared radiation with the wavelengths down to~ 10 µm. NEP of about 2× 10-18 W/Hz1/2 was obtained at 1.3 µm wavelength. Such high sensitivity together with GHz-range counting speed, make NbN photon counters very promising for efficient, ultrafast quantum communications and another applications. We discuss the origin of dark counts in our devices and their ultimate sensitivity in terms of the resistive fluctuations in our superconducting nanostructured devices.
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Korneev, A. A. (2021). Superconducting NbN microstrip single-photon detectors. In I. Prochazka, M. Štefaňák, R. Sobolewski, & A. Gábris (Eds.), Proc. Quantum Optics and Photon Counting (Vol. 11771). SPIE.
Abstract: 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.
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Schroeder, E., Mauskopf, P., Pilyavsky, G., Sinclair, A., Smith, N., Bryan, S., et al. (2016). On the measurement of intensity correlations from laboratory and astronomical sources with SPADs and SNSPDs. In F. Malbet, M. J. Creech-Eakman, & P. G. Tuthill (Eds.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 9907, 99070P (1 to 13)). SPIE.
Abstract: We describe the performance of detector modules containing silicon single photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs) and superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) to be used for intensity interferometry. The SPADs are mounted in fiber-coupled and free-space coupled packages. The SNSPDs are mounted in a small liquid helium cryostat coupled to single mode fiber optic cables which pass through a hermetic feed-through. The detectors are read out with microwave amplifiers and FPGA-based coincidence electronics. We present progress on measurements of intensity correlations from incoherent sources including gas-discharge lamps and stars with these detectors. From the measured laboratory performance of the correlation system, we estimate the sensitivity to intensity correlations from stars using commercial telescopes and larger existing research telescopes.
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Zolotov, P. I., Vakhtomin, Y. B., Divochiy, A. V., Seleznev, V. A., & Smirnov, K. V. (2016). Technology development of resonator-based structures for efficiency increasing of NBN detectors of IR single photons. Proc. 5th Int. Conf. Photonics and Information Optics, , 115–116.
Abstract: This paper presents a technology of fabrication of NbN superconductive single- photon detectors, using resonator structures. The main results are related to optimization of the process of NbN sputtering over substrate with metallic mirrors and SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 layers /4 thick. Investigation of the quantum efficiency of fabricated devices at 1.6 K on 1.55 μm showed triple-magnified value compared to standard Si/NbN structures.
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Smirnov, K., Vachtomin, Y., Divochiy, A., Antipov, A., & Goltsman, G. (2015). The limitation of noise equivalent power by background radiation for infrared superconducting single photon detectors coupled to standard single mode optical fibers. Rus. J. Radio Electron., (5).
Abstract: We investigated the minimum level of the dark count rates and noise equivalent power of superconducting single photon detectors coupled to standard single mode optical fibers. We found that background radiation limits the minimum level of the dark count rates. We also proposed the effective method for reducing background radiation out of the required spectral range of the detector. Measured noise equivalent power of detector reaches 8.9×10-19 W×Hz1/2 at a wavelength of 1.55 μm and quantum efficiency 35%.
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Il’in, K. S., Milostnaya, I. I., Verevkin, A. A., Gol’tsman, G. N., Gershenzon, E. M., & Sobolewski, R. (1998). Ultimate quantum efficiency of a superconducting hot-electron photodetector. Appl. Phys. Lett., 73(26), 3938–3940.
Abstract: 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.
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Kerman, A. J., Dauler, E. A., Keicher, W. E., Yang, J. K. W., Berggren, K. K., Gol’tsman, G., et al. (2006). Kinetic-inductance-limited reset time of superconducting nanowire photon counters. Appl. Phys. Lett., 88(11), 111116 (1 to 3).
Abstract: We investigate the recovery of superconducting NbN-nanowire photon counters after detection of an optical pulse at a wavelength of 1550nm, and present a model that quantitatively accounts for our observations. The reset time is found to be limited by the large kinetic inductance of these nanowires, which forces a tradeoff between counting rate and either detection efficiency or active area. Devices of usable size and high detection efficiency are found to have reset times orders of magnitude longer than their intrinsic photoresponse time.
The authors acknowledge D. Oates and W. Oliver (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), S.W. Nam, A. Miller, and R. Hadfield (NIST) and R. Sobolewski, A. Pearlman, and A. Verevkin (University of Rochester) for helpful discussions and technical assistance. This work made use of MIT’s shared scanning-electron-beam-lithography facility in the Research Laboratory of Electronics. This work is sponsored by the United States Air Force under Air Force Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, recommendations and conclusions are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.
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Gol’tsman, G. N., Okunev, O., Chulkova, G., Lipatov, A., Semenov, A., Smirnov, K., et al. (2001). Picosecond superconducting single-photon optical detector. Appl. Phys. Lett., 79(6), 705–707.
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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Shcherbatenko, M., Elezov, M., Manova, N., Sedykh, K., Korneev, A., Korneeva, Y., et al. (2021). Single-pixel camera with a large-area microstrip superconducting single photon detector on a multimode fiber. Appl. Phys. Lett., 118(18), 181103.
Abstract: High sensitivity imaging at the level of single photons is an invaluable tool in many areas, ranging from microscopy to astronomy. However, development of single-photon sensitive detectors with high spatial resolution is very non-trivial. Here we employ the single-pixel imaging approach and demonstrate a proof-of-principle single-pixel single-photon imaging setup. We overcome the problem of low light gathering efficiency by developing a large-area microstrip superconducting single photon detector coupled to a multi-mode optical fiber interface. We show that the setup operates well in the visible and near infrared spectrum, and is able to capture images at the single-photon level.
We thank Philipp Zolotov and Pavel Morozov for NbN film fabrication, ARC coating, and fiber coupling of the detector. We also thank Swabian Instruments GmbH and Dr. Helmut Fedder personally for the kindly provided experimental equipment (Time Tagger Ultra 8). The work in the part of SNSPD research and development was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research Project No. 18-29-20100. The work in the part of the optical setup and imaging was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research Project No. 20-32-51004.
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