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Goltsman, G. N., Shcherbatenko, M. L., Lobanov, Y. V., Kovalyuk, V. V., Kahl, O., Ferrari, S., et al. (2016). Superconducting nanowire single photon detector for coherent detection of weak optical signals. In LPHYS'16 (pp. 1–2).
Abstract: Traditionally, photon detectors are operated in a direct detection mode counting incident photonswith a known quantum efficiency. This procedure allows one to detect weak sources of radiation but allthe information about its frequency is limited by the optical filtering/resonating structures used which arenot as precise as would be required for some practical applications. In this work we propose heterodynereceiver based on a photon counting mixer which would combine excellent sensitivity of a photon countingdetector and excellent spectral resolution given by the heterodyne technique. At present, Superconducting-Nanowire-Single-Photon-Detectors (SNSPDs) [1] are widely used in a variety of applications providing thebest possible combination of the sensitivity and speed. SNSPDs demonstrate lack of drawbacks like highdark count rate or autopulsing, which are common for traditional semiconductor-based photon detectors,such as avalanche photon diodes.In our study we have investigated SNSPD operated as a photon counting mixer. To fully understandits behavior in such a regime, we have utilized experimental setup based on a couple of distributedfeedback lasers irradiating at 1.5 micrometers, one of which is being the Local Oscillator (LO) and theother mimics the test signal [2]. The SNSPD was operated in the current mode and the bias currentwas slightly below of the critical current. Advantageously, we have found that LO power needed for anoptimal mixing is of the order of hundreds of femtowatts to a few picowatts, which is promising for manypractical applications, such as receiver matrices [3]. With use of the two lasers, one can observe thevoltage pulses produced by the detected photons, and the time distribution of the pulses reproduces thefrequency difference between the lasers, forming power response at the intermediate frequency which canbe captured by either an oscilloscope (an analysis of the pulse statistics is needed) or by an RF spectrumanalyzer. Photon-counting nature of the detector ensures quantum-limited sensitivity with respect to theoptical coupling achieved. In addition to the chip SNSPD with normal incidence coupling, we use thedetectors with a travelling wave geometry design [4]. In this case a NbN nanowire is placed on the topof a Si3N4 nanophotonic waveguide, thus increasing the efficient interaction length. For this reason it ispossible to achieve almost complete absorption of photons and reduce the detector footprint. This reducesthe noise of the device together with the expansion of the bandwidth. Integrated device scheme allowsus to measure the optical losses with high accuracy. Our approach is fully scalable and, along with alarge number of devices integrated on a single chip can be adapted to the mid and far IR ranges wherephoton-counting measurement may be beneficial as well [5].Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by the Ministry of Education and Science of theRussian Federation, contract No. 14.B25.31.0007 and by RFBR grant No. 16-32-00465.
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Baeva, E. M., Sidorova, M. V., Korneev, A. A., Smirnov, K. V., Divochy, A. V., Morozov, P. V., et al. (2018). Thermal properties of NbN single-photon detectors. Phys. Rev. Applied, 10(6), 064063 (1 to 8).
Abstract: We investigate thermal properties of a NbN single-photon detector capable of unit internal detection efficiency. Using an independent calibration of the coupling losses, we determine the absolute optical power absorbed by the NbN film and, via resistive superconductor thermometry, the temperature dependence of the thermal resistance Z(T) of the NbN film. In principle, this approach permits simultaneous measurement of the electron-phonon and phonon-escape contributions to the energy relaxation, which in our case is ambiguous because of the similar temperature dependencies. We analyze Z(T) with a two-temperature model and impose an upper bound on the ratio of electron and phonon heat capacities in NbN, which is surprisingly close to a recent theoretical lower bound for the same quantity in similar devices.
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Fiore, A., Marsili, F., Bitauld, D., Gaggero, A., Leoni, R., Mattioli, F., et al. (2009). Counting photons using a nanonetwork of superconducting wires. In M. Cheng (Ed.), Nano-Net (pp. 120–122). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Abstract: We show how the parallel connection of photo-sensitive superconducting nanowires can be used to count the number of photons in an optical pulse, down to the single-photon level. Using this principle we demonstrate photon-number resolving detectors with unprecedented sensitivity and speed at telecommunication wavelengths.
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Korneev, A., Minaeva, O., Divochiy, A., Antipov, A., Kaurova, N., Seleznev, V., et al. (2007). Ultrafast and high quantum efficiency large-area superconducting single-photon detectors. In M. Dusek, M. S. Hillery, W. P. Schleich, I. Prochazka, A. L. Migdall, & A. Pauchard (Eds.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 6583, 65830I (1 to 9)). Spie.
Abstract: We present our latest generation of superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) patterned from 4-nm-thick NbN films, as meander-shaped 0.5-mm-long and 100-nm-wide stripes. The SSPDs exhibit excellent performance parameters in the visible-to-near-infrared radiation wavelengths: quantum efficiency (QE) of our best devices approaches a saturation level of 30% even at 4.2 K (limited by the NbN film optical absorption) and dark counts as low as 2x10-4 Hz. The presented SSPDs were designed to maintain the QE of large-active-area devices, but, unless our earlier SSPDs, hampered by a significant kinetic inductance and a nanosecond response time, they are characterized by a low inductance and GHz counting rates. We have designed, simulated, and tested the structures consisting of several, connected in parallel, meander sections, each having a resistor connected in series. Such new, multi-element geometry led to a significant decrease of the device kinetic inductance without the decrease of its active area and QE. The presented improvement in the SSPD performance makes our detectors most attractive for high-speed quantum communications and quantum cryptography applications.
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Simonov, N. O., Korneeva, Y. P., Korneev, A. A., & Goltsman, G. N. (2020). Enhance of the superconducting properties of the NbN/Au bilayer bridges. In J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. (Vol. 1695, 012132 (1 to 4)).
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate strong temperature dependence of the critical current of the superconducting 600-nm-wide and 5-μm-long bridge made of NbN/Au bilayer. The result is achieved due to the proximity effect realized between the highly disordered superconducting NbN layer and low resistive normal-metal Au layer.
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Manova, N. N., Smirnov, E. O., Korneeva, Y. P., Korneev, A. A., & Goltsman, G. N. (2019). Superconducting photon counter for nanophotonics applications. In J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. (Vol. 1410, 012147 (1 to 5)).
Abstract: We develop large area superconducting single-photon detector SSPD with a micron-wide strip suitable for free-space coupling or packaging with multi-mode optical fibres. The detector sensitive area is 20 μm in diameter. In near infrared (1330 nm wavelength) our SSPD exhibits above 30% detection efficiency with low dark counts and 45 ps timing jitter.
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Polyakova, M. I., Florya, I. N., Semenov, A. V., Korneev, A. A., & Goltsman, G. N. (2019). Extracting hot-spot correlation length from SNSPD tomography data. In J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. (Vol. 1410, 012166 (1 to 4)).
Abstract: We present data of quantum detector tomography for the samples specifically optimized for this problem. Using this method, we take results of hot-spot correlation length of 17 ± 2 nm.
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Korneeva, Y. P., Vodolazov, D. Y., Semenov, A. V., Florya, I. N., Simonov, N., Baeva, E., et al. (2018). Optical single-photon detection in micrometer-scale NbN bridges. Phys. Rev. Applied, 9(6), 064037 (1 to 13).
Abstract: We demonstrate experimentally that single-photon detection can be achieved in micrometer-wide NbN bridges, with widths ranging from 0.53 to 5.15 μm and for photon wavelengths of 408 to 1550 nm. The microbridges are biased with a dc current close to the experimental critical current, which is estimated to be about 50% of the theoretically expected depairing current. These results offer an alternative to the standard superconducting single-photon detectors, based on nanometer-scale nanowires implemented in a long meandering structure. The results are consistent with improved theoretical modeling based on the theory of nonequilibrium superconductivity, including the vortex-assisted mechanism of initial dissipation.
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Korneev, A., Korneeva, Y., Florya, I., Semenov, A., & Goltsman, G. (2018). Photon switching statistics in multistrip superconducting single-photon detectors. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 28(7), 1–4.
Abstract: We study photon count statistics in superconducting single-photon detectors consisting of up to 70 narrow superconducting strips connected in parallel. Using interarrival time analysis, we demonstrate that our samples are operated in the “arm-trigger” regime and require up to seven subsequently absorbed photons to form a resistive state in the whole sample. We also performed numerical simulation of the light and dark count rates versus detector bias current, which are in good agreement with the experimental results.
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Sidorova, M. V., Kozorezov, A. G., Semenov, A. V., Korneeva, Y. P., Mikhailov, M. Y., Devizenko, A. Y., et al. (2018). Nonbolometric bottleneck in electron-phonon relaxation in ultrathin WSi films. Phys. Rev. B, 97(18), 184512 (1 to 13).
Abstract: We developed the model of the internal phonon bottleneck to describe the energy exchange between the acoustically soft ultrathin metal film and acoustically rigid substrate. Discriminating phonons in the film into two groups, escaping and nonescaping, we show that electrons and nonescaping phonons may form a unified subsystem, which is cooled down only due to interactions with escaping phonons, either due to direct phonon conversion or indirect sequential interaction with an electronic system. Using an amplitude-modulated absorption of the sub-THz radiation technique, we studied electron-phonon relaxation in ultrathin disordered films of tungsten silicide. We found an experimental proof of the internal phonon bottleneck. The experiment and simulation based on the proposed model agree well, resulting in τe−ph∼140–190 ps at TC=3.4K, supporting the results of earlier measurements by independent techniques.
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