Gaggero, A., Nejad, S. J., Marsili, F., Mattioli, F., Leoni, R., Bitauld, D., et al. (2010). Nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors on GaAs for integrated quantum photonic applications. Appl. Phys. Lett., 97(15), 3.
Abstract: We demonstrate efficient nanowire superconducting single photon detectors (SSPDs) based on NbN thin films grown on GaAs. NbN films ranging from 3 to 5 nm in thickness have been deposited by dc magnetron sputtering on GaAs substrates at 350 °C. These films show superconducting properties comparable to similar films grown on sapphire and MgO. In order to demonstrate the potential for monolithic integration, SSPDs were fabricated and measured on GaAs/AlAs Bragg mirrors, showing a clear cavity enhancement, with a peak quantum efficiency of 18.3% at λ = 1300 nm and T = 4.2 K.
|
Ferrari, S., Kahl, O., Kovalyuk, V., Goltsman, G. N., Korneev, A., & Pernice, W. H. P. (2015). Waveguide-integrated single- and multi-photon detection at telecom wavelengths using superconducting nanowires. Appl. Phys. Lett., 106(15), 151101 (1 to 5).
Abstract: We investigate single- and multi-photon detection regimes of superconducting nanowire detectors embedded in silicon nitride nanophotonic circuits. At near-infrared wavelengths, simultaneous detection of up to three photons is observed for 120 nm wide nanowires biased far from the critical current, while narrow nanowires below 100 nm provide efficient single photon detection. A theoretical model is proposed to determine the different detection regimes and to calculate the corresponding internal quantum efficiency. The predicted saturation of the internal quantum efficiency in the single photon regime agrees well with plateau behavior observed at high bias currents.
W. H. P. Pernice acknowledges support by the DFG Grant Nos. PE 1832/1-1 and PE 1832/1-2 and the Helmholtz society through Grant No. HIRG-0005. The Ph.D. education of O. Kahl is embedded in the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics (KSOP). G. N. Goltsman acknowledges support by Russian Federation President Grant HШ-1918.2014.2 and Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Contract No.: RFMEFI58614X0007. A. Korneev acknowledges support by Statement Task No. 3.1846.2014/k. V. Kovalyuk acknowledges support by Statement Task No. 2327. We also acknowledge support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the State of Baden-Württemberg through the DFG-Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN) within subproject A6.4. We thank S. Kühn and S. Diewald for the help with device fabrication as well as B. Voronov and A. Shishkin for help with NbN thin film deposition and A. Semenov for helpful discussion about the detection mechanism of nanowire SSPD's.
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
|
Zhang, J., Boiadjieva, N., Chulkova, G., Deslandes, H., Gol'tsman, G. N., Korneev, A., et al. (2003). Noninvasive CMOS circuit testing with NbN superconducting single-photon detectors. Electron. Lett., 39(14), 1086–1088.
Abstract: 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.
|
Elvira, D., Michon, A., Fain, B., Patriarche, G., Beaudoin, G., Robert-Philip, I., et al. (2010). Time-resolved spectroscopy of InAsP/InP(001) quantum dots emitting near 2 μm. Appl. Phys. Lett., 97(13), 131907 (1 to 3).
Abstract: By using superconducting single photon detectors, we perform time-resolved characterization of a small ensemble of InAsP/InP quantum dots grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy, emitting at wavelengths between 1.6 and 2.2 μm. We demonstrate that alloying phosphorus with InAs allows to shift the emission wavelength toward higher wavelengths, while keeping the high optical quality of these quantum dots at room temperature, with no decrease in their radiative lifetime. This work was partially supported by Russian Ministry of Science and Education: Federal State Program “Scientific and Educational Cadres of Innovative” state Contract Nos. 02.740.0228, 14.740.11.0343, 14.740.11.0269, and P931, and RFBR Project No. 09-02-12364.
|
Zhang, J., Słysz, W., Pearlman, A., Verevkin, A., Sobolewski, R., Okunev, O., et al. (2003). Time delay of resistive-state formation in superconducting stripes excited by single optical photons. Phys. Rev. B, 67(13), 132508 (1 to 4).
Abstract: We have observed a 65(±5)-ps time delay in the onset of a resistive-state formation in 10-nm-thick, 130-nm-wide NbN superconducting stripes exposed to single photons. The delay in the photoresponse decreased to zero when the stripe was irradiated by multi-photon (classical) optical pulses. Our NbN structures were kept at 4.2 K, well below the material’s critical temperature, and were illuminated by 100-fs-wide optical pulses. The time-delay phenomenon has been explained within the framework of a model based on photon-induced generation of a hotspot in the superconducting stripe and subsequent, supercurrent-assisted, resistive-state formation across the entire stripe cross section. The measured time delays in both the single-photon and two-photon detection regimes agree well with theoretical predictions of the resistive-state dynamics in one-dimensional superconducting stripes.
|
Sidorova, M., Semenov, A., Hübers, H. - W., Kuzmin, A., Doerner, S., Ilin, K., et al. (2018). Timing jitter in photon detection by straight superconducting nanowires: Effect of magnetic field and photon flux. Phys. Rev. B, 98(13), 134504 (1 to 14).
Abstract: We studied the effects of the external magnetic field and photon flux on timing jitter in photon detection by straight superconducting NbN nanowires. At two wavelengths 800 and 1560 nm, statistical distribution in the appearance times of photon counts exhibits Gaussian shape at small times and an exponential tail at large times. The characteristic exponential time is larger for photons with smaller energy and increases with external magnetic field while variations in the Gaussian part of the distribution are less pronounced. Increasing photon flux drives the nanowire from the discrete quantum detection regime to the uniform bolometric regime that averages out fluctuations of the total number of nonequilibrium electrons created by the photon and drastically reduces jitter. The difference between standard deviations of Gaussian parts of distributions for these two regimes provides the measure for the strength of electron-number fluctuations; it increases with the photon energy. We show that the two-dimensional hot-spot detection model explains qualitatively the effect of magnetic field.
|
Чулкова, Г. М., Семёнов, А. В., Дивочий, А. В., & Тархов, М. А. (2011). Сверхпроводниковый однофотонный детектор с разрешением числа фотонов для систем дальней телекоммуникационной связи. Ж. радиоэлектрон., (12), 1–6.
Abstract: Рассмотрена возможность применения сверхпроводникового однофотонного детектора, разрешающего число фотонов, в качестве датчика приёмных модулей телекоммуникационных линий. Показано, что для достижения доли ошибочных битов на уровне 10-11 достаточно на два порядка меньшей мощности в оптическом импульсе, чем при использовании существующих приёмных модулей.
|
Lipatov, A., Okunev, O., Smirnov, K., Chulkova, G., Korneev, A., Kouminov, P., et al. (2002). An ultrafast NbN hot-electron single-photon detector for electronic applications. Supercond. Sci. Technol., 15(12), 1689–1692.
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.
|
Korneeva, Y. P., Trifonov, A. V., Vakhtomin, Y. B., & Smirnov, K. V. (2011). Design of resonator for superconducting single-photon detector. Rus. J. Radio Electron., (12).
Abstract: A resonator for superconducting single-photon detector is designed. Near 60% coupling with a radiation propagating from a dielectric substrate of optical fiber is demonstrated to be achieved for typical values of the detector’s film sheet resistance.
|
Terai, H., Miki, S., Yamashita, T., Makise, K., & Wang, Z. (2010). Demonstration of single-flux-quantum readout operation for superconducting single-photon detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 97(11), 3.
Abstract: A readout circuit using superconducting single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuits has been developed to realize an independently addressable array of superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs). We tested the SFQ readout circuits by connecting with SSPDs. The error rates of readout circuits were below 10–5 for input signal amplitude of greater than 18.2 μA. Detection efficiencies (DEs) for single-photon incidents were measured both with and without the connection of a readout circuit. The observed DEs traced almost the same curves regardless of the connection of the readout circuit, except that the SSPD is likely to latch by connecting the readout circuit.
|
Vetter, A., Ferrari, S., Rath, P., Alaee, R., Kahl, O., Kovalyuk, V., et al. (2016). Cavity-enhanced and ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors. Nano Lett., 16(11), 7085–7092.
Abstract: Ultrafast single-photon detectors with high efficiency are of utmost importance for many applications in the context of integrated quantum photonic circuits. Detectors based on superconductor nanowires attached to optical waveguides are particularly appealing for this purpose. However, their speed is limited because the required high absorption efficiency necessitates long nanowires deposited on top of the waveguide. This enhances the kinetic inductance and makes the detectors slow. Here, we solve this problem by aligning the nanowire, contrary to usual choice, perpendicular to the waveguide to realize devices with a length below 1 mum. By integrating the nanowire into a photonic crystal cavity, we recover high absorption efficiency, thus enhancing the detection efficiency by more than an order of magnitude. Our cavity enhanced superconducting nanowire detectors are fully embedded in silicon nanophotonic circuits and efficiently detect single photons at telecom wavelengths. The detectors possess subnanosecond decay ( approximately 120 ps) and recovery times ( approximately 510 ps) and thus show potential for GHz count rates at low timing jitter ( approximately 32 ps). The small absorption volume allows efficient threshold multiphoton detection.
|
Maingault, L., Tarkhov, M., Florya, I., Semenov, A., Espiau de Lamaëstre, R., Cavalier, P., et al. (2010). Spectral dependency of superconducting single photon detectors. J. Appl. Phys., 107(11), 116103 (1 to 3).
Abstract: We investigate the effect of varying both incoming optical wavelength and width of NbN nanowires on the superconducting single photon detectors (SSPD) detection efficiency. The SSPD are current biased close to critical value and temperature fixed at 4.2 K, far from transition. The experimental results are found to verify with a good accuracy predictions based on the “hot spot model,” whose size scales with the absorbed photon energy. With larger optical power inducing multiphoton detection regime, the same scaling law remains valid, up to the three-photon regime. We demonstrate the validity of applying a limited number of measurements and using such a simple model to reasonably predict any SSPD behavior among a collection of nanowire device widths at different photon wavelengths. These results set the basis for designing efficient single photon detectors operating in the infrared (2–5 μm range).
This work was supported by European projects FP6 STREP “SINPHONIA” (Contract No. NMP4-CT-2005-16433) and IP “QAP” (Contract No. 15848).
|
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.
|
Il'in, K. S., Verevkin, A. A., Gol'tsman, G. N., & Sobolewski, R. (1999). Infrared hot-electron NbN superconducting photodetectors for imaging applications. Supercond. Sci. Technol., 12(11), 755–758.
Abstract: We report an effective quantum efficiency of 340, responsivity >200 A W-1 (>104 V W-1) and response time of 27±5 ps at temperatures close to the superconducting transition for NbN superconducting hot-electron photodetectors (HEPs) in the near-infrared and optical ranges. Our studies were performed on a few nm thick NbN films deposited on sapphire substrates and patterned into µm-size multibridge detector structures, incorporated into a coplanar transmission line. The time-resolved photoresponse was studied by means of subpicosecond electro-optic sampling with 100 fs wide laser pulses. The quantum efficiency and responsivity studies of our photodetectors were conducted using an amplitude-modulated infrared beam, fibre-optically coupled to the device. The observed picosecond response time and the very high efficiency and sensitivity of the NbN HEPs make them an excellent choice for infrared imaging photodetectors and input optical-to-electrical transducers for superconducting digital circuits.
|
Манова, Н. Н., Корнеева, Ю. П., Корнеев, А. А., Слыш, В., Воронов, Б. М., & Гольцман, Г. Н. (2011). Сверхпроводниковый NbN однофотонный детектор, интегрированный с четвертьволновым резонатором. ПЖТФ, 37(10), 7.
Abstract: Исследована спектральная зависимость квантовой эффективности сверхпроводниковых NbN однофотонных детекторов, интегрированных с оптическими четвертьволновыми резонаторами с использованием диэлектриков Si3N4, SiO2, SiO.
|
