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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Zhang, X., Lita, A. E., Smirnov, K., Liu, H. L., Zhu, D., Verma, V. B., et al. (2020). Strong suppression of the resistivity near the superconducting transition in narrow microbridges in external magnetic fields. Phys. Rev. B, 101(6), 060508 (1 to 6).
Abstract: We have investigated a series of superconducting bridges based on homogeneous amorphous WSi and MoSi films, with bridge widths w ranging from 2 to 1000μm and film thicknesses d∼4−6 and 100 nm. Upon decreasing the bridge widths below the respective Pearl lengths, we observe in all cases distinct changes in the characteristics of the resistive transitions to superconductivity. For each of the films, the resistivity curves R(B,T) separate at a well-defined and field-dependent temperature T∗(B) with decreasing the temperature, resulting in a dramatic suppression of the resistivity and a sharpening of the transitions with decreasing bridge width w. The associated excess conductivity in all the bridges scales as 1/w, which may suggest either the presence of a highly conducting region that is dominating the electric transport, or a change in the vortex dynamics in narrow enough bridges. We argue that this effect can only be observed in materials with sufficiently weak vortex pinning.
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Shcheslavskiy, V., Morozov, P., Divochiy, A., Vakhtomin, Y., Smirnov, K., & Becker, W. (2016). Erratum: “Ultrafast time measurements by time-correlated single photon counting coupled with superconducting single photon detector” [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 87, 053117 (2016)] (Vol. 87).
Abstract: In the original paper1the Ref. 10 should be M. Sanzaro, N. Calandri, A. Ruggeri, C. Scarcella, G. Boso, M. Buttafava, and A. Tosi, Proc. SPIE9370, 93701T (2015).
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Korneev, A. A., Divochiy, A. V., Vakhtomin, Y. B., Korneeva, Y. P., Larionov, P. A., Manova, N. N., et al. (2013). IR single-photon receiver based on ultrathin NbN superconducting film. Rus. J. Radio Electron., (5).
Abstract: We present our recent results in research and development of superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD). We achieved the following performance improvement: first, we developed and characterized SSPD integrated in optical cavity and enabling its illumination from the face side, not through the substrate, second, we improved the quantum efficiency of the SSPD at around 3 μm wavelength by reduction of the strip width to 40 nm, and, finally, we improved the detection efficiency of the SSPD-based single-photon receiver system up to 20% at 1550 nm and extended its wavelength range beyond 1800 nm by the usage of the fluoride ZBLAN fibres.
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Smirnov, K. V., Divochiy, A. V., Vakhtomin, Y. B., Sidorova, M. V., Karpova, U. V., Morozov, P. V., et al. (2016). Rise time of voltage pulses in NbN superconducting single photon detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 109(5), 052601.
Abstract: We have found experimentally that the rise time of voltage pulse in NbN superconducting single photon detectors increases nonlinearly with increasing the length of the detector L. The effect is connected with dependence of resistance of the detector Rn, which appears after photon absorption, on its kinetic inductance Lk and, hence, on the length of the detector. This conclusion is confirmed by our calculations in the framework of two temperature model.
D.Yu.V. acknowledges the support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 15-42-02365). K.V.S. acknowledges the financial support from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Contract No. 3.2655.2014/K).
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Gol'tsman, G. N., Korneev, A., Rubtsova, I., Milostnaya, I., Chulkova, G., Minaeva, O., et al. (2005). Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors for near-infrared-wavelength quantum communications. Phys. Stat. Sol. (C), 2(5), 1480–1488.
Abstract: We present our progress on the research and development of NbN superconducting single‐photon detectors (SSPD's) for ultrafast counting of near‐infrared photons for secure quantum communications. Our SSPD's operate in the quantum detection mode based on the photon‐induced hotspot formation and subsequent development of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron‐width superconducting stripe. The devices are fabricated from 4‐nm‐thick NbN films and kept in the 4.2‐ to 2‐K temperature range. The detector experimental quantum efficiency in the photon‐counting mode reaches above 40% for the visible light and up to 30% in the 1.3‐ to 1.55‐µm wavelength range with dark counts below 0.01 per second. The experimental real‐time counting rate is above 2 GHz and is limited by our readout electronics. The SSPD's timing jitter is below 18 ps, and the best‐measured value of the noise‐equivalent power (NEP) is 5 × 10–21 W/Hz1/2 at 1.3 µm. In terms of quantum efficiency, timing jitter, and maximum counting rate, our NbN SSPD's significantly outperform semiconductor avalanche photodiodes and photomultipliers in the 1.3‐ to 1.55‐µm range.
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Verevkin, A. A., Ptitsina, N. G., Smirnov, K. V., Voronov, B. M., Gol’tsman, G. N., Gershenson, E. M., et al. (1999). Multiple Andreev reflection in hybrid AlGaAs/GaAs structures with superconducting NbN contacts. Semicond., 33(5), 551–554.
Abstract: The conductivity of hybrid microstructures with superconducting contacts made of niobium nitride to a semiconductor with a two-dimensional electron gas in a AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure has been investigated. Distinctive features of the behavior of the conductivity indicate the presence of multiple Andreev reflection at scattering centers in the normal region near the superconductor-semiconductor boundary.
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Verevkin, A. A., Ptitsina, N. G., Smirnov, K. V., Gol’tsman, G. N., Gershenzon, E. M., & Ingvesson, K. S. (1996). Direct measurements of energy relaxation times on an AlGaAs/GaAs heterointerface in the range 4.2–50 K. JETP Lett., 64(5), 404–409.
Abstract: The temperature dependence of the energy relaxation time τe (T) of a two-dimensional electron gas at an AlGaAs/GaAs heterointerface is measured under quasiequilibrium conditions in the region of the transition from scattering by acoustic phonons to scattering with the participation of optical phonons. The temperature interval of constant τe, where scattering by the deformation potential predominates, is determined. In the preceding, low-temperature region, where piezoacoustic and deformation-potential-induced scattering processes coexist, τ e decreases slowly with increasing temperature. Optical phonons start to participate in the scattering processes at T∼25 K (the characteristic phonon lifetime was equal to τLOτ4.5 ps). The energy losses calculated from the τe data in a model with an effective nonequilibrium electron temperature agree with the published data obtained under strong heating conditions.
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Kitaeva, G. K., Kornienko, V. V., Kuznetsov, K. A., Pentin, I. V., Smirnov, K. V., & Vakhtomin, Y. B. (2019). Direct detection of the idler THz radiation generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Opt. Lett., 44(5), 1198–1201.
Abstract: We study parametric down-conversion (PDC) of optical laser radiation in the strongly frequency non-degenerate regime which is promising for the generation of quantum-correlated pairs of extremely different spectral ranges, the optical and the terahertz (THz) ones. The possibility to detect tenuous THz-frequency photon fluxes generated under low-gain spontaneous PDC is demonstrated using a hot electron bolometer. Then experimental dependences of the THz radiation power on the detection angle and on the pump intensity are analyzed.
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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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