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Delacour C, Claudon J, Poizat J-P, Pannetier B, Bouchiat V, de Lamaestre RE, et al. Superconducting single photon detectors made by local oxidation with an atomic force microscope. Appl Phys Lett. 2007;90(19):191116 (1 t0 3).
Abstract: The authors present a fabrication technique of superconducting single photon detectors made by local oxidation of niobium nitride ultrathin films. Narrow superconducting meander lines are obtained by direct writing of insulating niobium oxynitride lines through the films using voltage-biased tip of an atomic force microscope. Due to the 30nm resolution of the lithographic technique, the filling factor of the meander line can be made substantially higher than detector of similar geometry made by electron beam lithography, thus leading to increased quantum efficiency. Single photon detection regime of these devices is demonstrated at 4.2K.
The authors thank J.-P. Maneval for stimulating discussions. This work has been partly supported by ACI Nanoscience from French Ministry of Research, D.G.A., by Grant No. 02.445.11.7434 of Russian Ministry of Education and Science, and by the European Commission under project “SINPHONIA,” Contract No. NMP4-CT-2005-16433.
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Smirnov K, Korneev A, Minaeva O, Divochiy A, Tarkhov M, Ryabchun S, et al. Ultrathin NbN film superconducting single-photon detector array. In: J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. Vol 61.; 2007. p. 1081–5.
Abstract: We report on the fabrication process of the 2 × 2 superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) array. The SSPD array is made from ultrathin NbN film and is operated at liquid helium temperatures. Each detector is a nanowire-based structure patterned by electron beam lithography process. The advances in fabrication technology allowed us to produce highly uniform strips and preserve superconducting properties of the unpatterned film. SSPD exhibit up to 30% quantum efficiency in near infrared and up to 1% at 5-μm wavelength. Due to 120 MHz counting rate and 18 ps jitter, the time-domain multiplexing read-out is proposed for large scale SSPD arrays. Single-pixel SSPD has already found a practical application in non-invasive testing of semiconductor very-large scale integrated circuits. The SSPD significantly outperformed traditional single-photon counting avalanche diodes.
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Gershenzon EM, Gol'tsman GN, Gogidze IG, Gusev YP, Elantiev AI, Karasik BS, et al. Millimeter and submillimeter wave range mixer based on electronic heating of superconducting films in the resistive state. Sov Supercond. 1990;3(10):1582–97.
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Gol'tsman GN, Semenov AD, Gousev YP, Zorin MA, Gogidze IG, Gershenzon EM, et al. Sensitive picosecond NbN detector for radiation from millimetre wavelengths to visible light. Supercond Sci Technol. 1991;4(9):453–6.
Abstract: The authors report on the application of a broad-band NbN film detector which has high sensitivity and picosecond response time for detection of radiation from millimetre wavelengths to visible light. From a study of amplitude modulated radiation of backward-wave tubes and picosecond pulses from gas and solid state lasers at wavelengths between 2 mm and 0.53 mu m, they found a detectivity of 1010 W-1 cm Hz-1/2 and a response time of less than 50 ps at T=10 K. The characteristics were provided by using a 150 AA thick NbN film patterned into a structure of micron strips. According to the proposed detection mechanism, namely electron heating, they expect an intrinsic response time of approximately 20 ps at the same temperature.
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Lindgren M, Zorin MA, Trifonov V, Danerud M, Winkler D, Karasik BS, et al. Optical mixing in a patterned YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin film. Appl Phys Lett. 1994;65(26):3398–400.
Abstract: Mixing of 1.56 µm infrared radiation from two lasers in a high quality YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin film, patterned to parallel strips, was demonstrated. A mixer bandwidth of 18 GHz, limited by the measurement system, was obtained. A model based on nonequilibrium electron heating gives a good fit to the data and predicts an intrinsic mixer bandwidth in excess of 100 GHz, operating in the whole infrared spectrum. Reduction of bolometric effects and ways to decrease the conversion loss of the mixer is discussed. The minimum conversion loss is expected to be ~10 dB.
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Gousev YP, Gol'tsman GN, Semenov AD, Gershenzon EM, Nebosis RS, Heusinger MA, et al. Broadband ultrafast superconducting NbN detector for electromagnetic radiation. J Appl Phys. 1994;75(7):3695–7.
Abstract: An ultrafast detector that is sensitive to radiation in a broad spectral range from submillimeter waves to visible light is reported. It consists of a structured NbN thin film cooled to a temperature below Tc (∼11 K). Using 20 ps pulses of a GaAs laser, we observed signal pulses with both rise and decay time of about 50 ps. From the analysis of a mixing experiment with submillimeter radiation we estimate an intrinsic response time of the detector of ∼12 ps. The sensitivity was found to be similar for the near‐infrared and submillimeter radiation. Broadband sensitivity and short response time are attributed to a quasiparticle heating effect.
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Yagubov P, Gol'tsman G, Voronov B, Seidman L, Siomash V, Cherednichenko S, et al. The bandwidth of HEB mixers employing ultrathin NbN films on sapphire substrate. In: Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; 1996. p. 290–302.
Abstract: We report on some unusual features observed during fabrication of ultrathin NbN films with high Tc. The films were used to fabricate HEB mixers, which were evaluated for IF bandwidth measurements at 140 GHz. Ultrathin films were fabricated using reactive dc magnetron sputtering with a discharge current source. Reproducible parameters of the films are assured keeping constant the difference between the discharge voltage in pure argon, and in a gas mixture, for the same current. A maximum bandwidth of 4 GHz at optimal LO and dc bias was obtained for mixer chip based on NbN film 35 A thick with Tc = 11 K.
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Kroug M, Yagoubov P, Gol'tsman G, Kollberg E. NbN quasioptical phonon cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at THz frequencies. In: Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. Vol 1. Bristol; 1997. p. 405–8.
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Cherednichenko S, Yagoubov P, Il'In K, Gol'tsman G, Gershenzon E. Large bandwidth of NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixers on sapphire substrates. In: Proc. 8th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 1997. p. 245–57.
Abstract: The bandwidth of NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometer mixers has been systematically investigated with respect to the film thickness and film quality variation. The films, 2.5 to 10 mm thick, were fabricated on sapphire substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering. All devices consisted of several parallel strips, each 1 1.1 wide and 211 long, placed between Ti-Au contact pads. To measure the gain bandwidth we used two identical BWOs operating in the 120-140 GHz frequency range, one functioning as a local oscillator and the other as a signal source. The majority of the measurements were made at an ambient temperature of 4.5 K with optimal LO and DC bias. The maximum 3 dB bandwidth (about 4 GHz) was achieved for the devices made of films which were 2.5-3.5 nm thick, had a high critical temperature, and high critical current density. A theoretical analysis of bandwidth for these mixers based on the two-temperature model gives a good description of the experimental results if one assumes that the electron temperature is equal to the critical temperature.
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Kawamura J, Blundell R, Tong C-YE, Gol'tsman G, Gershenzon E, Voronov B, et al. Phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixers for submillimeter wavelengths. In: Proc. 8th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 1997. p. 23–8.
Abstract: The noise performance of receivers incorporating NbN phonon-cooled superconducting hot electron bolometric mixers is measured from 200 GHz to 900 GHz. The mixer elements are thin-film (thickness — 4 nm) NbN with —5 to 40 pm area fabricated on crystalline quartz sub- strates. The receiver noise temperature from 200 GHz to 900 GHz demonstrates no unexpected degradation with increasing frequency, being roughly TRx ,; 1-2 K The best receiver noise temperatures are 410 K (DSB) at 430 GHz, 483 K at 636 GHz, and 1150 K at 800 GHz.
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