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Author Il'in, K. S.; Verevkin, A. A.; Gol'tsman, G. N.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Infrared hot-electron NbN superconducting photodetectors for imaging applications Type Journal Article
Year 1999 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.
Volume (down) 12 Issue 11 Pages 755-758
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We report an effective quantum efficiency of 340, responsivity >200 A W-1 (>104 V W-1) and response time of 27±5 ps at temperatures close to the superconducting transition for NbN superconducting hot-electron photodetectors (HEPs) in the near-infrared and optical ranges. Our studies were performed on a few nm thick NbN films deposited on sapphire substrates and patterned into µm-size multibridge detector structures, incorporated into a coplanar transmission line. The time-resolved photoresponse was studied by means of subpicosecond electro-optic sampling with 100 fs wide laser pulses. The quantum efficiency and responsivity studies of our photodetectors were conducted using an amplitude-modulated infrared beam, fibre-optically coupled to the device. The observed picosecond response time and the very high efficiency and sensitivity of the NbN HEPs make them an excellent choice for infrared imaging photodetectors and input optical-to-electrical transducers for superconducting digital circuits.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0953-2048 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1562
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Author Gol’tsman, G.; Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Lipatov, A.; Dzardanov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Semenov, A.; Voronov, B.; Williams, C.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Fabrication and properties of an ultrafast NbN hot-electron single-photon detector Type Journal Article
Year 2001 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.
Volume (down) 11 Issue 1 Pages 574-577
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract A new type of ultra-high-speed single-photon counter for visible and near-infrared wavebands based on an ultrathin NbN hot-electron photodetector (HEP) has been developed. The detector consists of a very narrow superconducting stripe, biased close to its critical current. An incoming photon absorbed by the stripe produces a resistive hotspot and causes an increase in the film’s supercurrent density above the critical value, leading to temporary formation of a resistive barrier across the device and an easily measurable voltage pulse. Our NbN HEP is an ultrafast (estimated response time is 30 ps; registered time, due to apparatus limitations, is 150 ps), frequency unselective device with very large intrinsic gain and negligible dark counts. We have observed sequences of output pulses, interpreted as single-photon events for very weak laser beams with wavelengths ranging from 0.5 /spl mu/m to 2.1 /spl mu/m and the signal-to-noise ratio of about 30 dB.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1558-2515 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1547
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Author Il'in, K. S.; Currie, M.; Lindgren, M.; Milostnaya, I. I.; Verevkin, A. A.; Gol'tsman, G. N.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Quantum efficiency and time-domain response of superconducting NbN hot-electron photodetectors Type Journal Article
Year 1999 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.
Volume (down) 9 Issue 2 Pages 3338-3341
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We report our studies on the response of ultrathin superconducting NbN hot-electron photodetectors. We have measured the photoresponse of few-nm-thick, micron-size structures, which consisted of single and multiple microbridges, to radiation from the continuous-wave semiconductor laser and the femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser with the wavelength of 790 nm and 400 nm, respectively. The maximum responsivity was observed near the film's superconducting transition with the device optimally current-biased in the resistive state. The responsivity of the detector, normalized to its illuminated area and the coupling factor, was 220 A/W(3/spl times/10/sup 4/ V/W), which corresponded to a quantum efficiency of 340. The responsivity was wavelength independent from the far infrared to the ultraviolet range, and was at least two orders of magnitude higher than comparable semiconductor optical detectors. The time constant of the photoresponse signal was 45 ps, when was measured at 2.15 K in the resistive (switched) state using a cryogenic electro-optical sampling technique with subpicosecond resolution. The obtained results agree very well with our calculations performed using a two-temperature model of the electron heating in thin superconducting films.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1566
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Author Lindgren, M.; Currie, M.; Zeng, W.-S.; Sobolewski, R.; Cherednichenko, S.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G. N.
Title Picosecond response of a superconducting hot-electron NbN photodetector Type Journal Article
Year 1998 Publication Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal Appl. Supercond.
Volume (down) 6 Issue 7-9 Pages 423-428
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract The ps optical response of ultrathin NbN photodetectors has been studied by electro-optic sampling. The detectors were fabricated by patterning ultrathin (3.5 nm thick) NbN films deposited on sapphire by reactive magnetron sputtering into either a 5×10 μm2 microbridge or 25 1 μm wide, 5 μm long strips connected in parallel. Both structures were placed at the center of a 4 mm long coplanar waveguide covered with Ti/Au. The photoresponse was studied at temperatures ranging from 2.15 K to 10 K, with the samples biased in the resistive (switched) state and illuminated with 100 fs wide laser pulses at 395 nm wavelength. At T=2.15 K, we obtained an approximately 100 ps wide transient, which corresponds to a NbN detector response time of 45 ps. The photoresponse can be attributed to the nonequilibrium electron heating effect, where the incident radiation increases the temperature of the electron subsystem, while the phonons act as the heat sink. The high-speed response of NbN devices makes them an excellent choice for an optoelectronic interface for superconducting digital circuits, as well as mixers for the terahertz regime. The multiple-strip detector showed a linear dependence on input optical power and a responsivity =3.9 V/W.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0964-1807 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1584
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Author Chulkova, G.; Milostnaya, I.; Korneev, A.; Minaeva, O.; Rubtsova, I.; Voronov, B.; Okunev, O.; Smirnov, K.; Gol’tsman, G.; Kitaygorsky, J.; Cross, A.; Pearlman, A.; Sobolewski, R.; Slysz, W.
Title Superconducting nanostructures for counting of single photons in the infrared range Type Conference Article
Year 2005 Publication Proc. 2-nd CAOL Abbreviated Journal Proc. 2-nd CAOL
Volume (down) 2 Issue Pages 100-103
Keywords SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We present our studies on ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) based on ultrathin NbN nanostructures. Our SSPDs are patterned by electron beam lithography from 4-nm thick NbN film into meander-shaped strips covering square area of 10/spl times/10 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. The advances in the fabrication technology allowed us to produce highly uniform 100-120-nm-wide strips with meander filling factor close to 0.6. The detectors exploit a combined detection mechanism, where upon a single-photon absorption, an avalanche of excited hot electrons and the biasing supercurrent, jointly produce a picosecond voltage transient response across the superconducting nanostrip. The SSPDs are typically operated at 4.2 K, but they have shown that their sensitivity in the infrared radiation range can be significantly improved by lowering the operating temperature from 4.2 K to 2 K. When operated at 2 K, the SSPD quantum efficiency (QE) for visible light photons reaches 30-40%, which is the saturation value limited by optical absorption of our 4-nm-thick NbN film. For 1.55 /spl mu/m photons, QE was /spl sim/20% and decreases exponentially with the increase of the optical wavelength, but even at the wavelength of 6 /spl mu/m the detector remains sensitive to single photons and exhibits QE of about 10/sup -2/%. The dark (false) count rate at 2 K is as low as 2 /spl times/ 10/sup -4/ s/sup -1/, what makes our detector essentially a background-limited sensor. The very low dark-count rate results in the noise equivalent power (NEP) as low as 10/sup -18/ WHz/sup -1/2/ for the mid-infrared range (6 /spl mu/m). Further improvement of the SSPD performance in the mid-infrared range can be obtained by substituting NbN for the other, lower-T/sub c/ superconductors with the narrow superconducting gap and low quasiparticle diffusivity. The use of such materials will shift the cutoff wavelength towards the values even longer than 6 /spl mu/m.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference Second International Conference on Advanced Optoelectronics and Lasers
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1461
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Author Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Milostnaya, I.; Antipov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Morozov, D.; Korneev, A.; Voronov, B.; Gol’tsman, G.; Stysz, W.; Wegrzecki, M.; Bar, J.; Grabiec, P.; Gorska, 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 2005 Publication Proc. 2-nd CAOL Abbreviated Journal Proc. 2-nd CAOL
Volume (down) 2 Issue Pages 282-285
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
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 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ 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 /spl mu/m and 1.55 /spl mu/m 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-helium storage 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 <300 ps 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 1 s/sup -1/. The presented performance parameters show that our single-photon receivers are fully applicable for quantum-correlation-type QC systems, including practical quantum cryptography.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference Second International Conference on Advanced Optoelectronics and Lasers
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1462
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Author Gol'tsman, G. N.; Korneev, A.; Rubtsova, I.; Milostnaya, I.; Chulkova, G.; Minaeva, O.; Smirnov, K.; Voronov, B.; Słysz, W.; Pearlman, A.; Verevkin, A.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors for near-infrared-wavelength quantum communications Type Journal Article
Year 2005 Publication Phys. Stat. Sol. (C) Abbreviated Journal Phys. Stat. Sol. (C)
Volume (down) 2 Issue 5 Pages 1480-1488
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
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.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1610-1634 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1479
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Author Zhang, J.; Pearlman, A.; Slysz, W.; Verevkin, A.; Sobolewski, R.; Wilsher, K.; Lo, W.; Okunev, O.; Korneev, A.; Kouminov, P.; Chulkova, G.; Gol’tsman, G. N.
Title A superconducting single-photon detector for CMOS IC probing Type Conference Article
Year 2003 Publication Proc. 16-th LEOS Abbreviated Journal Proc. 16-th LEOS
Volume (down) 2 Issue Pages 602-603
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract In this paper, a novel, time-resolved, NbN-based, superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) has been developed for probing CMOS integrated circuits (ICs) using photon emission timing analysis (PETA).
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference The 16th Annual Meeting of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, 2003. LEOS 2003.
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1510
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Author Gol'tsman, G.; Korneev, A.; Minaeva, O.; Antipov, A.; Divochiy, A.; Kaurova, N.; Voronov, B.; Pan, D.; Cross, A.; Pearlman, A.; Komissarov, I.; Slysz, W.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Middle-infrared to visible-light ultrafast superconducting single-photon detector Type Conference Article
Year 2006 Publication Proc. ASC Abbreviated Journal
Volume (down) Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Seattle Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number RPLAB @ s @ SSPD_cavity_ASC Serial 389
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Author Verevkin, A.; Slysz, W.; Pearlman, A.; Zhang, J.; Sobolewski, R.; Okunev, O.; Korneev, A.; Kouminov, P.; Smirnov, K.; Chulkova, G.; Gol’tsman, G. N.; Currie, M.
Title Real-time GHz-rate counting of infrared photons using nanostructured NbN superconducting detectors Type Conference Article
Year 2003 Publication CLEO/QELS Abbreviated Journal CLEO/QELS
Volume (down) Issue Pages CThM8
Keywords NbN SSPD; SNSPD; Infrared; Quantum detectors; Detectors; Photon counting; Quantum communications; Quantum cryptography; Single photon detectors; Superconductors
Abstract We demonstrate that our ultrathin, nanometer-width NbN superconducting single-photon detectors are capable of above 1-GHz-frequency, real-time counting of near-infrared photons. The measured system jitter of the detector is below 15 ps.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Optical Society of America Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1517
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