|
|
Shcherbatenko, M., Elezov, M., Sych, D., & Goltsman, G. N. (2020). Optimal fiber optic scheme for sub-SQL quantum receiver realization. In J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. (Vol. 1695, 012140).
Abstract: Practical implementation of high-precision quantum measurements is an important problem in modern science. One of the main parts of the quantum receiver is the optical scheme. We developed and tested several optical circuits based on different types of interferometers, namely Sagnac-based scheme, Mach-Zehnder-based scheme, and Michelson-based scheme. All these schemes are assembled with optical fibers and fiber-optic components, since the fiber-optic implementation is closest to application in practical devices. Schemes were evaluated according to two main criteria: extinction and interference stability. On the basis of the obtained data, it can be concluded that the most suitable is the scheme based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In continuous mode, we were able to obtain an interference extinction about 30 dB with acceptable temporal stability.
|
|
|
|
Sidorova, M., Semenov, A. D., Hübers, H. - W., Ilin, K., Siegel, M., Charaev, I., et al. (2020). Electron energy relaxation in disordered superconducting NbN films. Phys. Rev. B, 102(5), 054501 (1 to 15).
Abstract: We report on the inelastic-scattering rate of electrons on phonons and relaxation of electron energy studied by means of magnetoconductance, and photoresponse, respectively, in a series of strongly disordered superconducting NbN films. The studied films with thicknesses in the range from 3 to 33 nm are characterized by different Ioffe-Regel parameters but an almost constant product qTl (qT is the wave vector of thermal phonons and l is the elastic mean free path of electrons). In the temperature range 14–30 K, the electron-phonon scattering rates obey temperature dependencies close to the power law 1/τe−ph∼Tn with the exponents n≈3.2–3.8. We found that in this temperature range τe−ph and n of studied films vary weakly with the thickness and square resistance. At 10 K electron-phonon scattering times are in the range 11.9–17.5 ps. The data extracted from magnetoconductance measurements were used to describe the experimental photoresponse with the two-temperature model. For thick films, the photoresponse is reasonably well described without fitting parameters, however, for thinner films, the fit requires a smaller heat capacity of phonons. We attribute this finding to the reduced density of phonon states in thin films at low temperatures. We also show that the estimated Debye temperature in the studied NbN films is noticeably smaller than in bulk material.
|
|
|
|
Ovchinnikov, O. V., Perepelitsa, A. S., Smirnov, M. S., Latyshev, A. N., Grevtseva, I. G., Vasiliev, R. B., et al. (2020). Luminescence of colloidal Ag2S/ZnS core/shell quantum dots capped with thioglycolic acid. J. Luminescence, 220, 117008 (1 to 7).
Abstract: The features of IR luminescence of colloidal AgS QDs passivated with thioglycolic acid (AgS/TGA) under the formation of AgS/ZnS/TGA core/shell QDs are considered. A 4.5-fold increase in the quantum yield of recombination IR luminescence within the band with a peak at 960 nm (1.29 eV), full width at half maximum of 250 nm (0.34 eV), and the Stokes shift with respect to the exciton absorption of 0.6 eV was found. The increase in the IR luminescence intensity of AgS/ZnS/TGA QDs is accompanied by an increase in the average luminescence lifetime from 2.9 ns to 14.3 ns, which is explained as “healing” of surface trap states during the formation of the ZnS shell. For the first time, the enhancement of the luminescence intensity photodegradation (hereinafter referred to as fatigue) was found during the formation of the AgS/ZnS/TGA core/shell QDs. The luminescence fatigue is irreversible. We conclude that the initial stage of photolysis of the AgS core QDs under laser irradiation plays a key role. Low-atomic photolytic clusters of silver formed on the AgS core QDs act as luminescence quenching centers and do not reveal structural transformations into AgS, provided that the clusters are not in contact with TGA.
|
|
|
|
Shcherbatenko, M. L., Elezov, M. S., Goltsman, G. N., & Sych, D. V. (2020). Sub-shot-noise-limited fiber-optic quantum receiver. Phys. Rev. A, 101(3), 032306 (1 to 5).
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate a quantum receiver based on the Kennedy scheme for discrimination between two phase-modulated weak coherent states. The receiver is assembled entirely from standard fiber-optic elements and operates at a conventional telecom wavelength of 1.55 μm. The local oscillator and the signal are transmitted through different optical fibers, and the displaced signal is measured with a high-efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detector. We show the discrimination error rate is two times below that of a shot-noise-limited receiver with the same system detection efficiency.
|
|
|
|
Matyushkin, Y., Kaurova, N., Voronov, B., Goltsman, G., & Fedorov, G. (2020). On chip carbon nanotube tunneling spectroscopy. Fullerenes, Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures, 28(1), 50–53.
Abstract: We report an experimental study of the band structure of individual carbon nanotubes (SCNTs) based on investigation of the tunneling density of states, i.e. tunneling spectroscopy. A common approach to this task is to use a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). However, this approach has a number of drawbacks, to overcome which, we propose another method – tunneling spectroscopy of SCNTs on a chip using a tunneling contact. This method is simpler, cheaper and technologically advanced than the STM. Fabrication of a tunnel contact can be easily integrated into any technological route, therefore, a tunnel contact can be used, for example, as an additional tool in characterizing any devices based on individual CNTs. In this paper we demonstrate a simple technological procedure that results in fabrication of good-quality tunneling contacts to carbon nanotubes.
|
|
|
|
Baeva, E. M., Titova, N. A., Veyrat, L., Sacépé, B., Semenov, A. V., Goltsman, G. N., et al. (2021). Thermal relaxation in metal films bottlenecked by diffuson lattice excitations of amorphous substrates. arXiv:2101.07071v1 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.07071v1
Abstract: Here we examine the role of the amorphous insulating substrate in the thermal relaxation in thin NbN, InOx, and Au/Ni films at temperatures above 5 K. The studied samples are made up of metal bridges on an amorphous insulating layer lying on or suspended above a crystalline substrate. Noise thermometry was used to measure the electron temperature Te of the films as a function of Joule power per unit of area P2D. In all samples, we observe the dependence P2D∝Tne with the exponent n≃2, which is inconsistent with both electron-phonon coupling and Kapitza thermal resistance. In suspended samples, the functional dependence of P2D(Te) on the length of the amorphous insulating layer is consistent with the linear T-dependence of the thermal conductivity, which is related to lattice excitations (diffusons) for the phonon mean free path smaller than the dominant phonon wavelength. Our findings are important for understanding the operation of devices embedded in amorphous dielectrics.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Iomdina, E. N., Seliverstov, S. V., Teplyakova, K. O., Jani, E. V., Pozdniakova, V. V., Polyakova, O. N., et al. (2021). Terahertz scanning of the rabbit cornea with experimental UVB-induced damage: in vivo assessment of hydration and its verification. J. Biomed. Opt., 26(4).
Abstract: SIGNIFICANCE: Water content plays a vital role in the normally functioning visual system; even a minor disruption in the water balance may be harmful. Today, no direct method exists for corneal hydration assessment, while it could be instrumental in early diagnosis and control of a variety of eye diseases. The use of terahertz (THz) radiation, which is highly sensitive to water content, appears to be very promising. AIM: To find out how THz scanning parameters of corneal tissue measured by an experimental setup, specially developed for in vivo contactless estimations of corneal reflectivity coefficient (RC), are related to pathological changes in the cornea caused by B-band ultraviolet (UVB) exposure. APPROACH: The setup was tested on rabbit eyes in vivo. Prior to the course of UVB irradiation and 1, 5, and 30 days after it, a series of examinations of the corneal state was made. At the same time points, corneal hydration was assessed by measuring RC. RESULTS: The obtained data confirmed the negative impact of UVB irradiation course on the intensity of tear production and on the corneal thickness and optical parameters. A significant (1.8 times) increase in RC on the 5th day after the irradiation course, followed by a slight decrease on the 30th day after it was revealed. The RC increase measured 5 days after the UVB irradiation course generally corresponded to the increase (by a factor of 1.3) of tear production. RC increase occurred with the corneal edema, which was manifested by corneal thickening (by 18.2% in the middle area and 17.6% in corneal periphery) and an increased volume of corneal tissue (by 17.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the proposed approach can be used for in vivo contactless estimation of the reflectivity of rabbit cornea in the THz range and, thereby, of cornea hydration.
|
|
|
|
Baksheeva, K., Ozhegov, R., Goltsman, G., Kinev, N., Koshelets, V., Kochnev, A., et al. (2021). The sub THz emission of the human body under physiological stress. IEEE Trans. Terahertz Sci. Technol., .
Abstract: We present evidence that in the sub-THz frequency band, human skin can be considered as an electromagnetic bio-metamaterial, in that its natural emission is a product of skin tissue geometry and embedded structures. Radiometry was performed on 32 human subjects from 480 to 700 GHz. Concurrently, the subjects were exposed to stress, while heart pulse rate (PS) and galvanic skin response (GSR) were also measured. The results are substantially different from the expected black body radiation signal of the skin surface. PS and GSR correlate to the emissivity. Using a simulation model for the skin, we find that the sweat duct is a critical element. The simulated frequency spectra qualitatively match the measured emission spectra and show that our sub-THz emission is modulated by our level of mental stress. This opens avenues for the remote monitoring of the human state.
|
|
|
|
Lobanov, Y. V., Vakhtomin, Y. B., Pentin, I. V., Rosental, V. A., Smirnov, K. V., Goltsman, G. N., et al. (2021). Time-resolved measurements of light–current characteristic and mode competition in pulsed THz quantum cascade laser. Optical Engineering, 60(8), 1–8.
Abstract: Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) are widely adopted as prominent and easy-to-use solid-state sources of terahertz radiation. Yet some applications require generation and detection of very sharp and narrow terahertz-range pulses with a specific spectral composition. We have studied time-resolved light-current (L–I) characteristics of multimode THz QCL operated with a fast ramp of the injection current. Detection of THz pulses was carried out using an NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer with the time constant of the order of 1 ns while the laser bias current was swept during a single driving pulse. A nonmonotonic behavior of the L–I characteristic with several visually separated subpeaks was found. This behavior is associated with the mode competition in THz QCL cavity, which we confirm by L–I measurements with use of an external Fabry–Perot interferometer for a discrete mode selection. We also have demonstrated the possibility to control the L–I shape with suppression of one of the subpeaks by simply adjusting the off-axis parabolic mirror for optimal optical alignment for one of the laser modes. The developed technique paves the way for rapid characterization of pulsed THz QCLs for further studies of the possibilities of using this approach in remote sensing.
|
|
|
|
Gayduchenko, I., Xu, S. G., Alymov, G., Moskotin, M., Tretyakov, I., Taniguchi, T., et al. (2021). Tunnel field-effect transistors for sensitive terahertz detection. Nat. Commun., 12(1), 543.
Abstract: The rectification of electromagnetic waves to direct currents is a crucial process for energy harvesting, beyond-5G wireless communications, ultra-fast science, and observational astronomy. As the radiation frequency is raised to the sub-terahertz (THz) domain, ac-to-dc conversion by conventional electronics becomes challenging and requires alternative rectification protocols. Here, we address this challenge by tunnel field-effect transistors made of bilayer graphene (BLG). Taking advantage of BLG's electrically tunable band structure, we create a lateral tunnel junction and couple it to an antenna exposed to THz radiation. The incoming radiation is then down-converted by the tunnel junction nonlinearity, resulting in high responsivity (>4 kV/W) and low-noise (0.2 pW/[Formula: see text]) detection. We demonstrate how switching from intraband Ohmic to interband tunneling regime can raise detectors' responsivity by few orders of magnitude, in agreement with the developed theory. Our work demonstrates a potential application of tunnel transistors for THz detection and reveals BLG as a promising platform therefor.
|
|
|
|
Samsonova, A. S., Zolotov, P. I., Baeva, E. M., Lomakin, A. I., Titova, N. A., Kardakova, A. I., et al. (2021). Signatures of surface magnetic disorder in niobium films. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 31(5), 1–5.
Abstract: We present our studies on the evolution of the normal and superconducting properties with thickness of thin Nb films with a low level of non-magnetic disorder ( kFl≈150 for the thickest film in the set). The analysis of the superconducting behavior points to the presence of magnetic moments, hidden in the native oxide on the surface of Nb films. Using the Abrikosov-Gorkov theory, we obtain the density of surface magnetic moments of 1013 cm −2 , which is in agreement with the previously reported data for Nb films.
|
|
|
|
Baeva, E. M., Titova, N. A., Veyrat, L., Sacépé, B., Semenov, A. V., Goltsman, G. N., et al. (2021). Thermal relaxation in metal films limited by diffuson lattice excitations of amorphous substrates. Phys. Rev. Applied, 15(5), 054014.
Abstract: We examine the role of a silicon-based amorphous insulating substrate in the thermal relaxation in thin NbN, InOx, and Au/Ni films at temperatures above 5 K. The samples studied consist of metal bridges on an amorphous insulating layer lying on or suspended above a crystalline substrate. Noise thermometry is used to measure the electron temperature Te of the films as a function of Joule power per unit area P2D. In all samples, we observe a P2D∝Tne dependence, with exponent n≃2, which is inconsistent with both electron-phonon coupling and Kapitza thermal resistance. In suspended samples, the functional dependence of P2D(Te) on the length of the amorphous insulating layer is consistent with the linear temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity, which is related to lattice excitations (diffusons) for a phonon mean free path shorter than the dominant phonon wavelength. Our findings are important for understanding the operation of devices embedded in amorphous dielectrics.
|
|
|
|
Shcherbatenko, M., Elezov, M., Manova, N., Sedykh, K., Korneev, A., Korneeva, Y., et al. (2021). Single-pixel camera with a large-area microstrip superconducting single photon detector on a multimode fiber. Appl. Phys. Lett., 118(18), 181103.
Abstract: High sensitivity imaging at the level of single photons is an invaluable tool in many areas, ranging from microscopy to astronomy. However, development of single-photon sensitive detectors with high spatial resolution is very non-trivial. Here we employ the single-pixel imaging approach and demonstrate a proof-of-principle single-pixel single-photon imaging setup. We overcome the problem of low light gathering efficiency by developing a large-area microstrip superconducting single photon detector coupled to a multi-mode optical fiber interface. We show that the setup operates well in the visible and near infrared spectrum, and is able to capture images at the single-photon level.
We thank Philipp Zolotov and Pavel Morozov for NbN film fabrication, ARC coating, and fiber coupling of the detector. We also thank Swabian Instruments GmbH and Dr. Helmut Fedder personally for the kindly provided experimental equipment (Time Tagger Ultra 8). The work in the part of SNSPD research and development was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research Project No. 18-29-20100. The work in the part of the optical setup and imaging was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research Project No. 20-32-51004.
|
|
