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Author Shurakov, Alexander; Tong, Cheuk-yu E.; Blundell, Raymond; Gol’tsman, Gregory
Title A microwave pumped HEB direct detector using a homodyne readout scheme Type Abstract
Year 2014 Publication Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 129
Keywords waveguide NbN HEB detector, NEP
Abstract We report the results of our study on the noise performance of a fast THz detector based on the repurpose of hot electron bolometer mixer (HEB). Instead of operating with an elevated bath temperature, microwave power is injected into the HEB device, which enhances the sensitivity of the detector and at the same time provide a mechanism for reading out impedance changes of the device induced by the modulated incident THz radiation [1]. We have demonstrated an improvement of the detector’s optical noise equivalent power (NEP). Furthermore, by introducing a homodyne readout scheme based on a room temperature microwave mixer, the dynamic range of the detector is increased. The HEB devices used in this work were made of 4 nm thick NbN film. The detector chips were installed into a waveguide mixer block fitted with a corrugated horn, mounted on the cold plate of a liquid helium cryostat. The HEBs were operated at a bath temperature of 4.2 K. The signal beam was terminated on black bodies at ambient and liquid nitrogen temperatures. A chopper wheel placed in front of the cryostat window operating at a frequency of 1.48 kHz modulated the input load temperature of the detector. A cold mesh filter, centered at 830 GHz, was used to define the input signal power bandwidth. Microwave was injected through a broadband directional coupler inside the cryostat. Our experiments were mostly conducted at a pump frequency of 1.5 GHz. The reflected microwave power from the HEB device was fed into a cryogenic low noise amplifier (LNA). The output of the LNA was connected to the RF input port of a room temperature microwave mixer, which beat the reflected signal from the HEB using a copy of the original 1.5 GHz injection signal in a homodyne demodulation scheme. The amplitude of the detected power was measured by a lock-in amplifier, which was synchronized to the chopper frequency. Preliminary results yield an optical NEP of ~1 pW/ Hz 1/2 which corresponds to an improvement of a factor of 3 compared to [1], driven mainly by a lowering of the system noise floor. The dynamic range was also increased by similar amount. References 1. A. Shurakov et al. “A Microwave Pumped Hot Electron Bolometric Direct Detector,” submitted on Oct 18, 2013 to Appl. Phys. Let.
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Call Number Serial 1365
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Author Zhang, W.; Miao, W.; Li, S. L.; Zhou, K. M.; Shi, S. C.; Gao, J. R.; Goltsman, G. N.
Title Measurement of the spectral response of spiral-antenna coupled superconducting hot electron bolometers Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.
Volume 23 Issue 3 Pages 2300804-2300804
Keywords NbN HEB detector
Abstract Measured spectral response of spiral-antenna coupled superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEBs) often drops dramatically at frequencies that are still within the frequency range of interest (e.g., ~ 5 THz). This is inconsistent with the implied low receiver noise temperatures from the same measurements. To understand this discrepancy, we exhaustively test and calibrate the thermal sources used in Fourier transform spectrometer measurements. We first investigate the absolute emission spectrum of high-pressure Hg arc lamp, then measure the spectral response of two spiral-antenna coupled NbN HEBs with a Martin-Puplett interferometer as spectrometer and 77 K blackbody as broadband signal source. The measured absolute emission spectrum of Hg arc lamp is proportional to frequency, corresponding to an equivalent blackbody temperature of 4000 K at 1 THz, 1500 K at 3 THz, and 800 K at 5 THz, respectively. Measured spectral response of spiral-antenna coupled NbN HEBs, corrected for air absorption, is nearly flat in the frequency range of 0.5-4 THz, consistent with simulated coupling efficiency between HEB and spiral-antenna. These results explain the discrepancy, and prove that spiral-antenna coupled superconducting NbN HEBs work well in a wide frequency range. In addition, this calibration method and these results are broadly applicable to other quasi-optical THz receivers.
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ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1371
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Author Goltsman, G. N.
Title Ultrafast nanowire superconducting single-photon detector with photon number resolving capability Type Conference Article
Year 2009 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume 7236 Issue Pages 72360D (1 to 11)
Keywords PNR NbN SSPD, SNSPD, superconducting single-photon detectors, photon number resolving detectors, ultrathin NbN films
Abstract In this paper we present a review of the state-of-the-art superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD), its characterization and applications. We also present here the next step in the development of SSPD, i.e. photon-number resolving SSPD which simultaneously features GHz counting rate. We have demonstrated resolution up to 4 photons with quantum efficiency of 2.5% and 300 ps response pulse duration providing very short dead time.
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Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Arakawa, Y.; Sasaki, M.; Sotobayashi, H.
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Call Number Serial 1403
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Author Smirnov, K. V.; Vachtomin, Y. B.; Ozhegov, R. V.; Pentin, I. V.; Slivinskaya, E. V.; Korneev, A. A.; Goltsman, G. N.
Title Fiber coupled single photon receivers based on superconducting detectors for quantum communications and quantum cryptography Type Conference Article
Year 2008 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume 7138 Issue Pages 713827 (1 to 6)
Keywords SSPD, SNSPD, superconducting single photon detector, ultra-thin superconducting films, optical fiber coupling, ready to use receiver
Abstract At present superconducting detectors become increasingly attractive for various practical applications. In this paper we present results on the depelopment of fiber coupled receiver systems for the registration of IR single photons, optimized for telecommunication and quantum-cryptography. These receiver systems were developed on the basis of superconducting single photon detectors (SSPD) of VIS and IR wavelength ranges. The core of the SSPD is a narrow ( 100 nm) and long ( 0,5 mm) strip in the form of a meander which is patterned from a 4-nm-thick NbN film (TC=10-11 K, jC= 5-7•106 A/cm2); the sensitive area dimensions are 10×10 μm2. The main problem to be solved while the receiver system development was optical coupling of a single-mode fiber (9 microns in diameter) with the SSPD sensitive area. Characteristics of the developed system at the optical input are as follows: quantum efficiency >10 % (at 1.3 μm), >4 % (at 1.55 μm); dark counts rate ≤1 s-1; duration of voltage pulse ≤5 ns; jitter ≤40 ps. The receiver systems have either one or two identical channels (for the case of carrying out correlation measurements) and are made as an insert in a helium storage Dewar.
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Publisher Spie Place of Publication Editor Tománek, P.; Senderáková, D.; Hrabovský, M.
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Call Number Serial 1405
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Author Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Milostnaya, I.; Antipov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Morozov, D.; Korneev, A.; Voronov, B.; Gol’tsman, G.; Slysz, W.; Wegrzecki, M.; Bar, J.; Grabiec, P.; Górska, M.; Pearlman, A.; Cross, A.; Kitaygorsky, J.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Registration of infrared single photons by a two-channel receiver based on fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors Type Conference Article
Year 2008 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume 7009 Issue Pages 70090V (1 to 8)
Keywords SSPD, SNSPD, single-photon detectors, superconductors, superconducting nanost
Abstract Single-photon detectors (SPDs) are the foundation of all quantum communications (QC) protocols. Among different classes of SPDs currently studied, NbN superconducting SPDs (SSPDs) are established as the best devices for ultrafast counting of single photons in the infrared (IR) wavelength range. The SSPDs are nanostructured, 100 μm2 in total area, superconducting meanders, patterned by electron lithography in ultra-thin NbN films. Their operation has been explained within a phenomenological hot-electron photoresponse model. We present the design and performance of a novel, two-channel SPD receiver, based on two fiber-coupled NbN SSPDs. The receivers have been developed for fiber-based QC systems, operational at 1.3 μm and 1.55 μm telecommunication wavelengths. They operate in the temperature range from 4.2 K to 2 K, in which the NbN SSPDs exhibit their best performance. The receiver unit has been designed as a cryostat insert, placed inside a standard liquid-heliumstorage dewar. The input of the receiver consists of a pair of single-mode optical fibers, equipped with the standard FC connectors and kept at room temperature. Coupling between the SSPD and the fiber is achieved using a specially designed, precise micromechanical holder that places the fiber directly on top of the SSPD nanostructure. Our receivers achieve the quantum efficiency of up to 7% for near-IR photons, with the coupling efficiency of about 30%. The response time was measured to be < 1.5 ns and it was limited by our read-out electronics. The jitter of fiber-coupled SSPDs is < 35 ps and their dark-count rate is below 1s-1. The presented performance parameters show that our single-photon receivers are fully applicable for quantum correlation-type QC systems, including practical quantum cryptography.
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Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Sukhoivanov, I.A.; Svich, V.A.; Shmaliy, Y.S.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1413
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