Pentin, I. V., Smirnov, A. V., Ryabchun, S. A., Ozhegov, R. V., Gol’tsman, G. N., Vaks, V. L., et al. (2012). Semiconducting superlattice as a solid-state terahertz local oscillator for NbN hot-electron bolometer mixers. Tech. Phys., 57(7), 971–974.
Abstract: We present the results of our studies of the semiconducting superlattice (SSL) frequency multiplier and its application as part of the solid state local oscillator (LO) in the terahertz heterodyne receiver based on a NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer. We show that the SSL output power level increases as the ambient temperature is lowered to 4.2 K, the standard HEB operation temperature.
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Gurovich, B. A., Tarkhov, M. A., Prikhod'ko, K. E., Kuleshova, E. A., Komarov, D. A., Stolyarov, V. L., et al. (2014). Controlled modification of superconducting properties of NbN ultrathin films under composite ion beam irradiation. Nanotechnologies in Russia, 9(7), 386–390.
Abstract: In this work, the results of studying the microstructure and superconducting properties of ultrathin films on the basis of NbN in the initial state and after modification by being subjecting to composite ion beam irradiation with the energy ~1–3) keV are presented. HRTEM analysis showed that the initial films on the sapphire substrate in orientation “c-cut†are characterized by a grain size essentially exceeding the film thickness, while on the other substrates the size of grains corresponds to the thickness of film. Using XPS analysis, it was shown that in the initial films the atomic ratio of Nb and N is 0.51/0.49, respectively, the percentage of oxygen being lower than 5%. For ultrathin films 5 nm in thickness, the critical temperature of transit to superconducting state (T c) is found to be ~3.6 K and the density of critical current is jc ~8MA/cm2. In the work it is experimentally determined that the irradiation of NbN films by composite ion beams leads to the controlled modification of its superconducting properties due to the process of selective substitution of nitrogen atoms on the oxygen atoms.
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Korneev, A., Korneeva, Y., Florya, I., Voronov, B., & Goltsman, G. (2012). NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detector for mid-infrared. Phys. Procedia, 36, 72–76.
Abstract: Superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPD) is typically 100 nm-wide supercondiucting strip in a shape of meander made of 4-nm-thick film. To reduce response time and increase voltage response a parallel connection of the strips was proposed. Recently we demonstrated that reduction of the strip width improves the quantum effciency of such a detector at wavelengths longer than 1.5 μm. Being encourage by this progress in quantum effciency we improved the fabrication process and made parallel-wire SSPD with 40-nm-wide strips covering total area of 10 μm x 10 μm. In this paper we present the results of the characterization of such a parallel-wire SSPD at 10.6 μm wavelength and demonstrate linear dependence of the count rate on the light power as it should be in case of single-photon response.
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Milostnaya, I., Korneev, A., Tarkhov, M., Divochiy, A., Minaeva, O., Seleznev, V., et al. (2008). Superconducting single photon nanowire detectors development for IR and THz applications. J. Low Temp. Phys., 151(1-2), 591–596.
Abstract: We present our progress in the development of superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) based on meander-shaped nanowires made from few-nm-thick superconducting films. The SSPDs are operated at a temperature of 2–4.2 K (well below T c ) being biased with a current very close to the nanowire critical current at the operation temperature. To date, the material of choice for SSPDs is niobium nitride (NbN). Developed NbN SSPDs are capable of single photon counting in the range from VIS to mid-IR (up to 6 μm) with a record low dark counts rate and record-high counting rate. The use of a material with a low transition temperature should shift the detectors sensitivity towards longer wavelengths. We present state-of-the art NbN SSPDs as well as the results of our recent approach to expand the developed SSPD technology by the use of superconducting materials with lower T c , such as molybdenum rhenium (MoRe). MoRe SSPDs first were made and tested; a single photon response was obtained.
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Larrey, V., Villegier, J. - C., Salez, M., Miletto-Granozio, F., & Karpov, A. (1999). Processing and characterization of high Jc NbN superconducting tunnel junctions for THz analog circuits and RSFQ. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 9(2), 3216–3219.
Abstract: A generic NbN Superconducting Tunnel Junctions (STJ) technology has been developed using conventional substrates (Si and SOI-SIMOX) for making THz spectrometers including SIS receivers and RSFQ logic gates. NbN/MgO/NbN junctions with area of 1 /spl mu/m/sup 2/, Jc of 10 kA/cm/sup 2/ and low sub-gap leakage current (Vm>25 mV) are currently obtained from room temperature sputtered multilayers followed by a post-annealing at 250/spl deg/C. Using a thin MgO buffer layer deposited underneath the NbN electrodes, ensures lower NbN surface resistance values (Rs=7 /spl mu//spl Omega/) at 10 GHz and 4 K. Epitaxial NbN [100] films on MgO [100] with high gap frequency (1.4 THz) have also been achieved under the same deposition conditions at room temperature. The NbN SIS has shown good I-V photon induced steps when LO pumped at 300 GHz. We have developed an 8 levels Al/NbN multilayer process for making 1.5 THz SIS mixers (including Al antennas) on Si membranes patterned in SOI-SIMOX. Using the planarization techniques developed at the Si-MOS CEA-LETI Facility, we have also demonstrated on the possibility of extending our NbN technology to high level RSFQ circuit integration with 0.5 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ junction area, made on large area substrates (up to 8 inches).
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Lobanov, Y., Shcherbatenko, M., Semenov, A., Kovalyuk, V., Kahl, O., Ferrari, S., et al. (2017). Superconducting nanowire single photon detector for coherent detection of weak signals. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 27(4), 1–5.
Abstract: Traditional photon detectors are operated in the direct detection mode, counting incident photons with a known quantum efficiency. Here, we have investigated a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) operated as a photon counting mixer at telecommunication wavelength around 1.5 μm. This regime of operation combines excellent sensitivity of a photon counting detector with excellent spectral resolution given by the heterodyne technique. Advantageously, we have found that low local oscillator (LO) power of the order of hundreds of femtowatts to a few picowatts is sufficient for clear observation of the incident test signal with the sensitivity approaching the quantum limit. With further optimization, the required LO power could be significantly reduced, which is promising for many practical applications, such as the development of receiver matrices or recording ultralow signals at a level of less-than-one-photon per second. In addition to a traditional NbN-based SNSPD operated with normal incidence coupling, we also use detectors with a travelling wave geometry, where a NbN nanowire is placed on the top of a Si 3 N 4 nanophotonic waveguide. This approach is fully scalable and a large number of devices could be integrated on a single chip.
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Arutyunov, K. Y., Ramos-Alvarez, A., Semenov, A. V., Korneeva, Y. P., An, P. P., Korneev, A. A., et al. (2016). Superconductivity in highly disordered NbN nanowires. Nanotechnol., 27(47), 47lt02 (1 to 8).
Abstract: The topic of superconductivity in strongly disordered materials has attracted significant attention. These materials appear to be rather promising for fabrication of various nanoscale devices such as bolometers and transition edge sensors of electromagnetic radiation. The vividly debated subject of intrinsic spatial inhomogeneity responsible for the non-Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer relation between the superconducting gap and the pairing potential is crucial both for understanding the fundamental issues of superconductivity in highly disordered superconductors, and for the operation of corresponding nanoelectronic devices. Here we report an experimental study of the electron transport properties of narrow NbN nanowires with effective cross sections of the order of the debated inhomogeneity scales. The temperature dependence of the critical current follows the textbook Ginzburg-Landau prediction for the quasi-one-dimensional superconducting channel I c approximately (1-T/T c)(3/2). We find that conventional models based on the the phase slip mechanism provide reasonable fits for the shape of R(T) transitions. Better agreement with R(T) data can be achieved assuming the existence of short 'weak links' with slightly reduced local critical temperature T c. Hence, one may conclude that an 'exotic' intrinsic electronic inhomogeneity either does not exist in our structures, or, if it does exist, it does not affect their resistive state properties, or does not provide any specific impact distinguishable from conventional weak links.
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Shcherbatenko, M., Lobanov, Y., Semenov, A., Kovalyuk, V., Korneev, A., Ozhegov, R., et al. (2016). Potential of a superconducting photon counter for heterodyne detection at the telecommunication wavelength. Opt. Express, 24(26), 30474–30484.
Abstract: Here, we report on the successful operation of a NbN thin film superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) in a coherent mode (as a mixer) at the telecommunication wavelength of 1550 nm. Providing the local oscillator power of the order of a few picowatts, we were practically able to reach the quantum noise limited sensitivity. The intermediate frequency gain bandwidth (also referred to as response or conversion bandwidth) was limited by the spectral band of a single-photon response pulse of the detector, which is proportional to the detector size. We observed a gain bandwidth of 65 MHz and 140 MHz for 7 x 7 microm2 and 3 x 3 microm2 devices, respectively. A tiny amount of the required local oscillator power and wide gain and noise bandwidths, along with unnecessary low noise amplification, make this technology prominent for various applications, with the possibility for future development of a photon counting heterodyne-born large-scale array.
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Lusche, R., Semenov, A., Ilin, K., Siegel, M., Korneeva, Y., Trifonov, A., et al. (2014). Effect of the wire width on the intrinsic detection efficiency of superconducting-nanowire single-photon detectors. J. Appl. Phys., 116(4), 043906 (1 to 9).
Abstract: A thorough spectral study of the intrinsic single-photon detection efficiency in superconducting TaN and NbN nanowires with different widths has been performed. The experiment shows that the cut-off of the intrinsic detection efficiency at near-infrared wavelengths is most likely controlled by the local suppression of the barrier for vortex nucleation around the absorption site. Beyond the cut-off quasi-particle diffusion in combination with spontaneous, thermally activated vortex crossing explains the detection process. For both materials, the reciprocal cut-off wavelength scales linearly with the wire width where the scaling factor agrees with the hot-spot detection model.
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Hajenius, M., Yang, Z. Q., Gao, J. R., Baselmans, J. J. A., Klapwijk, T. M., Voronov, B., et al. (2007). Optimized sensitivity of NbN hot electron bolometer mixers by annealing. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 17(2), 399–402.
Abstract: We report that the heterodyne sensitivity of superconducting hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) increases by 25-30% after annealing at 85degC in high vacuum. The devices studied are twin-slot antenna coupled mixers with a small area NbN bridge of 1 mum times 0.15 mum, above which there is a SiO 2 passivation layer. The mixer noise temperature, gain, and resistance versus temperature curve of a HEB before and after annealing are compared and analysed. We show that the annealing reduces the intrinsic noise of the mixer by 37% and makes the superconducting transition of the bridge and the contacts sharper. We argue that the reduction ofthe noise is mainly due to the improvement of the transparency of the contact/film interface. The lowest receiver noise temperature of 700 K is measured at a local oscillator frequency of 1.63 THz and at a bath temperature of 4.2 K.
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Shurakov, A., Seliverstov, S., Kaurova, N., Finkel, M., Voronov, B., & Goltsman, G. (2012). Input bandwidth of hot electron bolometer with spiral antenna. IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol., 2(4), 400–405.
Abstract: We report the results of our study of the input bandwidth of hot electron bolometers (HEB) embedded into the planar log-spiral antenna. The sensitive element is made of the ultrathin superconducting NbN film patterned as a bridge at the feed of the antenna. The contacts between the antenna and a sensitive element are made from in situ deposited gold (i.e., deposited over NbN film without breaking vacuum), which gives high quality contacts and makes the response of the HEB at higher frequencies less affected by the RF loss. An accurate experimental spectroscopic procedure is demonstrated that leads to the confirmation of the wide ( 8 THz) bandwidth in this antenna coupled device.
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Baeva, E. M., Titova, N. A., Kardakova, A. I., Piatrusha, S. U., & Khrapai, V. S. (2020). Universal bottleneck for thermal relaxation in disordered metallic films. Jetp Lett., 111(2), 104–108.
Abstract: We study the heat relaxation in current biased metallic films in the regime of strong electron–phonon coupling. A thermal gradient in the direction normal to the film is predicted, with a spatial temperature profile determined by the temperature-dependent heat conduction. In the case of strong phonon scattering, the heat conduction occurs predominantly via the electronic system and the profile is parabolic. This regime leads to the linear dependence of the noise temperature as a function of bias voltage, in spite of the fact that all the dimensions of the film are large compared to the electron–phonon relaxation length. This is in stark contrast to the conventional scenario of relaxation limited by the electron–phonon scattering rate. A preliminary experimental study of a 200-nm-thick NbN film indicates the relevance of our model for materials used in superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors.
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Zolotov, P. I., Semenov, A. V., Divochiy, A. V., Goltsman, G. N., Romanov, N. R., & Klapwijk, T. M. (2021). Dependence of photon detection efficiency on normal-state sheet resistance in marginally superconducting films of NbN. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 31(5), 1–5.
Abstract: We present an extensive set of data on nanowire-type superconducting single-photon detectors based on niobium-nitride (NbN) to establish the empirical correlation between performance and the normal-state resistance per square. We focus, in particular, on the bias current, compared to the expected depairing current, needed to achieve a near-unity detection efficiency for photon detection. The data are discussed within the context of a model in which the photon energy triggers the movement of vortices i.e. superconducting dissipation, followed by thermal runaway. Since the model is based on the non-equilibrium theory for conventional superconductors deviations may occur, because the efficient regime is found when NbN acts as a marginal superconductor in which long-range phase coherence is frustrated.
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Zolotov, P., Semenov, A., Divochiy, A., & Goltsman, G. (2021). A comparison of VN and NbN thin films towards optimal SNSPD efficiency. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 31(5), 1–4.
Abstract: Based on early phenomenological ideas about the operation of superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPD or SNSPD), it was expected that materials with a lower superconducting gap should perform better in the IR range. The plausibility of this concept could be checked using two popular SSPD materials – NbN and WSi films. However, these materials differ strongly in crystallographic structure (polycrystalline B1 versus amorphous), which makes their dependence on disorder different. In our work we present a study of the single-photon response of SSPDs made from two disordered B1 structure superconductors – vanadium nitride and niobium nitride thin films. We compare the intrinsic efficiency of devices made from films with different sheet resistance values. While both materials have a polycrystalline structure and comparable diffusion coefficient values, VN films show metallic behavior over a wide range of sheet resistance, in contrast to NbN films with an insulator-like temperature dependence of resistivity, which may be partially due to enhanced Coulomb interaction, leading to different starting points for the normal electron density of states. The results show that even though VN devices are more promising in terms of theoretical predictions, their optimal performance was not reached due to lower values of sheet resistance.
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Moshkova, M., Divochiy, A., Morozov, P., Vakhtomin, Y., Antipov, A., Zolotov, P., et al. (2019). High-performance superconducting photon-number-resolving detectors with 86% system efficiency at telecom range. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 36(3), B20.
Abstract: The use of improved fabrication technology, highly disordered NbN thin films, and intertwined section topology makes it possible to create high-performance photon-number-resolving superconducting single-photon detectors (PNR SSPDs) that are comparable to conventional single-element SSPDs at the telecom range. The developed four-section PNR SSPD has simultaneously an 86±3% system detection efficiency, 35 cps dark count rate, ∼2 ns dead time, and maximum 90 ps jitter. An investigation of the PNR SSPD’s detection efficiency for multiphoton events shows good uniformity across sections. As a result, such a PNR SSPD is a good candidate for retrieving the photon statistics for light sources and quantum key distribution systems.
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