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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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Korneev, A., Kouminov, P., Matvienko, V., Chulkova, G., Smirnov, K., Voronov, B., et al. (2004). Sensitivity and gigahertz counting performance of NbN superconducting single-photon detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 84(26), 5338–5340.
Abstract: We have measured the quantum efficiencysQEd, GHz counting rate, jitter, and noise-equivalentpowersNEPdof nanostructured NbN superconducting single-photon detectorssSSPDsdin thevisible to infrared radiation range. Our 3.5-nm-thick and 100- to 200-nm-wide meander-typedevices(total area 10310mm2), operating at 4.2 K, exhibit an experimental QE of up to 20% inthe visible range and,10% at 1.3 to 1.55mm wavelength and are potentially sensitive up tomidinfrareds,10mmdradiation. The SSPD counting rate was measured to be above 2 GHz withjitter,18 ps, independent of the wavelength. The devices’ NEP varies from,10−17W/Hz1/2for1.55mm photons to,10−20W/Hz1/2for visible radiation. Lowering the SSPD operatingtemperature to 2.3 K significantly enhanced its performance, by increasing the QE to,20% andlowering the NEP level to,3310−22W/Hz1/2, both measured at 1.26mm wavelength.
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Hoevers, H. F. C., Bento, A. C., Bruijn, M. P., Gottardi, L., Korevaar, M. A. N., Mels, W. A., et al. (2000). Thermal fluctuation noise in a voltage biased superconducting transition edge thermometer. Appl. Phys. Lett., 77(26), 4421–4424.
Abstract: The current noise at the output of a microcalorimeter with a voltage biased superconducting transition edge thermometer is studied in detail. In addition to the two well-known noise sources: thermal fluctuation noise from the heat link to the bath and Johnson noise from the resistive thermometer, a third noise source strongly correlated with the steepness of the thermometer is required to fit the measured noise spectra. Thermal fluctuation noise, originating in the thermometer itself, fully explains the additional noise. A simple model provides quantitative agreement between the observed and calculated noise spectra for all bias points in the superconducting transition.
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Ejrnaes, M., Cristiano, R., Quaranta, O., Pagano, S., Gaggero, A., Mattioli, F., et al. (2007). A cascade switching superconducting single photon detector. Appl. Phys. Lett., 91(26), 262509 (1 to 3).
Abstract: We have realized superconducting single photon detectors with reduced inductance and increased signal pulse amplitude. The detectors are based on a parallel connection of ultrathin NbN nanowires with a common bias inductance. When properly biased, an absorbed photon induces a cascade switch of all the parallel wires generating a signal pulse amplitude of 2mV. The parallel wire configuration lowers the detector inductance and reduces the response time well below 1ns.
This work was performed in the framework of the EU project “SINPHONIA” NMP4-CT-2005-016433.
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Słysz, W., Węgrzecki, M., Bar, J., Grabiec, P., Górska, M., Zwiller, V., et al. (2006). Fiber-coupled single-photon detectors based on NbN superconducting nanostructures for practical quantum cryptography and photon-correlation studies. Appl. Phys. Lett., 88(26), 261113 (1 to 3).
Abstract: We have fabricated and tested a two-channel single-photon detector system based on two fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs). Our best device reached the system quantum efficiency of 0.3% in the 1540-nm telecommunication wavelength with a fiber-to-detector coupling factor of about 30%. The photoresponse consisted of 2.5-ns-wide voltage pulses with a rise time of 250ps and timing jitter below 40ps. The overall system response time, measured as a second-order, photon cross-correlation function, was below 400ps. Our SSPDs operate at 4.2K inside a liquid-helium Dewar, but their optical fiber inputs and electrical outputs are at room temperature. Our two-channel detector system should find applications in practical quantum cryptography and in antibunching-type quantum correlation measurements.
The authors would like to thank Dr. Marc Currie for his assistance in early time-resolved photoresponse measurements and Professor Atac Imamoglu for his support. This work was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science under Project No. 3 T11B 052 26 (Warsaw), RFBR 03-02-17697 and INTAS 03-51-4145 grants (Moscow), CRDF Grant No. RE2-2531-MO-03 (Moscow), RE2-2529-MO-03 (Moscow and Rochester), and US AFOSR FA9550-04-1-0123 (Rochester). Additional funding was provided by the grants from the MIT Lincoln Laboratory and BBN Technologies Corp.
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Baek, B., Lita, A. E., Verma, V., & Nam, S. W. (2011). Superconducting a-WxSi1–x nanowire single-photon detector with saturated internal quantum efficiency from visible to 1850 nm. Appl. Phys. Lett., 98(25), 3.
Abstract: We have developed a single-photon detector based on superconducting amorphous tungsten–silicon alloy (a-WxSi1–x) nanowire. Our device made from a uniform a-WxSi1–x nanowire covers a practical detection area (16 μm×16 μm) and shows high sensitivity featuring a plateau of the internal quantum efficiencies, i.e., efficiencies of generating an electrical pulse per absorbed photon, over a broad wavelength and bias range. This material system for superconducting nanowire detector technology could overcome the limitations of the prevalent nanowire devices based on NbN and lead to more practical, ideal single-photon detectors having high efficiency, low noise, and high count rates.
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Kardakova, A., Finkel, M., Morozov, D., Kovalyuk, V., An, P., Dunscombe, C., et al. (2013). The electron-phonon relaxation time in thin superconducting titanium nitride films. Appl. Phys. Lett., 103(25), 252602 (1 to 4).
Abstract: We report on the direct measurement of the electron-phonon relaxation time, τeph, in disordered TiN films. Measured values of τeph are from 5.5 ns to 88 ns in the 4.2 to 1.7 K temperature range and consistent with a T−3 temperature dependence. The electronic density of states at the Fermi level N0 is estimated from measured material parameters. The presented results confirm that thin TiN films are promising candidate-materials for ultrasensitive superconducting detectors.
The work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Contract No. 14.B25.31.0007 and by the RFBR Grant No. 13-02-91159.
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Tarkhov, M., Claudon, J., Poizat, J. P., Korneev, A., Divochiy, A., Minaeva, O., et al. (2008). Ultrafast reset time of superconducting single photon detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 92(24), 241112 (1 to 3).
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Hadfield, R. H., Habif, J. L., Schlafer, J., Schwall, R. E., & Nam, S. W. (2006). Quantum key distribution at 1550 nm with twin superconducting single-photon detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 89(24), 241129.
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Ekstörm, H., Kollberg, E., Yagoubov, P., Gol'tsman, G., Gershenzon, E., & Yngvesson, S. (1997). Gain and noise bandwidth of NbN hot-electron bolometric mixers. Appl. Phys. Lett., 70(24), 3296–3298.
Abstract: We have measured the noise performance and gain bandwidth of 35 Å thin NbN hot-electron mixers integrated with spiral antennas on silicon substrate lenses at 620 GHz. The best double-sideband receiver noise temperature is less than 1300 K with a 3 dB bandwidth of ≈5 GHz. The gain bandwidth is 3.2 GHz. The mixer output noise dominated by thermal fluctuations is 50 K, and the intrinsic conversion gain is about −12 dB. Without mismatch losses and excluding the loss from the beamsplitter, we expect to achieve a receiver noise temperature of less than 700 K.
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Tanner, M. G., Natarajan, C. M., Pottapenjara, V. K., O'Connor, J. A., Warburton, R. J., Hadfield, R. H., et al. (2010). Enhanced telecom wavelength single-photon detection with NbTiN superconducting nanowires on oxidized silicon. Appl. Phys. Lett., 96(22), 3.
Abstract: Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have emerged as a highly promising infrared single-photon detector technology. Next-generation devices are being developed with enhanced detection efficiency (DE) at key technological wavelengths via the use of optical cavities. Furthermore, new materials and substrates are being explored for improved fabrication versatility, higher DE, and lower dark counts. We report on the practical performance of packaged NbTiN SNSPDs fabricated on oxidized silicon substrates in the wavelength range from 830 to 1700 nm. We exploit constructive interference from the SiO2/Si interface in order to achieve enhanced front-side fiber-coupled DE of 23.2 % at 1310 nm, at 1 kHz dark count rate, with 60 ps full width half maximum timing jitter.
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Lindgren, M., Trifonov, V., Zorin, M., Danerud, M., Winkler, D., Karasik, B. S., et al. (1994). Transient resistive photoresponse of YBa2Cu3O7−δ films using low power 0.8 and 10.6 μm laser radiation. Appl. Phys. Lett., 64(22), 3036–3038.
Abstract: Thin YBa2Cu3O7−δ laser deposited films were patterned into devices consisting of ten parallel 1 μm wide strips. Nonequilibrium picosecond and bolometric photoresponses were studied by the use of 17 ps full width at half‐maximum laser pulses and amplitude modulated radiation from an AlGaAs laser up to 10 GHz and from a CO2 laser up to 1 GHz. The time and frequency domain measurements were in agreement. The fast response can be explained by electron heating. The use of low optical power and a sensitive measurement system excluded any nonlinear transient processes and kinetic inductance changes in the superconducting state. At 1 GHz modulation frequency, the responsivity was ∼1.2 V/W both for 0.8 and 10.6 μm wavelengths. The sensitivity of a fast and spectrally broadband infrared detector is discussed.
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Fetterman, H. R., Tannenwald, P. E., Clifton, B. J., Parker, C. D., Fitzgerald, W. D., & Erickson, N. R. (1978). Far-ir heterodyne radiometric measurements with quasioptical Schottky diode mixers. Appl. Phys. Lett., 33(2), 151–154.
Abstract: Frequency countings close to a phase locked zone in an electronic receiver show a 1/f power spectral density. The noise scaling versus the frequency deviation and the open loop gain are found from Adler's model of the phase locked loop. This fully agrees with experiments performed at 5 MHz on a receiver with a Schottky diode mixer and a low pass filter. The 1/f amplitude and frequency noise due to the whole set of (sub)harmonics is explained from a nonlinear mapping, with a coupling coefficient related to the structure of prime numbers.
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Mannino, G., Spinella, C., Ruggeri, R., La Magna, A., Fisicaro, G., Fazio, E., et al. (2010). Crystallization of implanted amorphous silicon during millisecond annealing by infrared laser irradiation. Appl. Phys. Lett., 97(2), 3.
Abstract: We investigated the homogenous nucleation of crystalline grains in amorphous Si during transient temperature pulse of few milliseconds IR laser irradiation. The crystallized volume fraction is ~80%. Significant crystallization occurs in nonsteady regime because of the rapid temperature variation (106 °C/s). Our model combines the time evolution of the crystal grain population with the consumption of the amorphous volume due to the growth of grains. Thanks to the experimental approach based on a laser source to heat α-Si and the theoretical model we extended the description of the spontaneous crystallization up to 1323 K or 250 K above the temperature investigated by conventional annealing.
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Semenov, A. D., Gousev, Y. P., Nebosis, R. S., Renk, K. F., Yagoubov, P., Voronov, B. M., et al. (1996). Heterodyne detection of THz radiation with a superconducting hot‐electron bolometer mixer. Appl. Phys. Lett., 69(2), 260–262.
Abstract: We report on the use of a superconducting hot‐electron bolometer mixer for heterodyne detection of terahertz radiation. Radiation with a wavelength of 119 μm was coupled to the mixer, a NbN microbridge, by a hybrid quasioptical antenna consisting of an extended hyperhemispherical lens and a planar logarithmic spiral antenna. We found, at an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz, a system double side band noise temperature of ≊40 000 K and conversion losses of 25 dB. We also discuss the possibilities of further improvement of the mixer performance.
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