Abstract: Comparative analysis for different topologies of superconducting single-photon detectors with ability to resolve up to 4 photons in a short pulse of IR radiation has been carry out. It was developed the detector with a system detection efficiency of ~ 85 % at λ = 1550 nm. The possibility of using such detector to restore photon statistics of a pulsed radiation source was demonstrated.

Abstract: Chiral fiber gratings are produced in a microforming process in which optical fibers with noncircular or nonconcentric cores are twisted as they pass though a miniature oven. Periodic glass structures as stable as the glass material itself are produced with helical pitch that ranges from under a micron to hundreds of microns. The geometry of the fiber cross section determines the symmetry of the resulting structure which in turn determines its polarization selectivity. Single helix structures are polarization insensitive while double helix gratings interact only with a single optical polarization. Both single and double helix gratings may act as a fiber long period grating, coupling the core and cladding modes. The coupling is manifested in a series of narrow dips in the transmission spectrum. The dip position is sensitive to fiber elongation, twist and temperature, and to the refractive index of the surrounding medium. The suitability of chiral gratings for sensing pressure, temperature and liquid levels is investigated. Polarization insensitive single helix silica glass gratings display excellent stability up to temperatures of 6000C, while a pressure sensor with dynamic range of nearly 40 dB is demonstrated in polarization selective double helix gratings.

Abstract: Achievement of the ultimate sensitivity along with a high spectral resolution is one of the frequently addressed problems, as the complication of the applied and fundamental scientific tasks being explored is growing up gradually. In our work, we have investigated performance of a superconducting nanowire photon-counting detector operating in the coherent mode for detection of weak signals at the telecommunication wavelength. Quantum-noise limited sensitivity of the detector was ensured by the nature of the photon-counting detection and restricted by the quantum efficiency of the detector only. Spectral resolution given by the heterodyne technique and was defined by the linewidth and stability of the Local Oscillator (LO). Response bandwidth was found to coincide with the detector’s pulse width, which, in turn, could be controlled by the nanowire length. In addition, the system noise bandwidth was shown to be governed by the electronics/lab equipment, and the detector noise bandwidth is predicted to depend on its jitter. As have been demonstrated, a very small amount of the LO power (of the order of a few picowatts down to hundreds of femtowatts) was required for sufficient detection of the test signal, and eventual optimization could lead to further reduction of the LO power required, which would perfectly suit for the foreseen development of receiver matrices and the need for detection of ultra-low signals at a level of less-than-one-photon per second.