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Gol’tsman G, Okunev O, Chulkova G, Lipatov A, Dzardanov A, Smirnov K, et al. Fabrication and properties of an ultrafast NbN hot-electron single-photon detector. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 2001;11(1):574–7.
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.
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Skalare A, McGrath WR, Echternach PM, Leduc HG, Siddiqi I, Verevkin A, et al. Aluminum hot-electron bolometer mixers at submillimeter wavelengths. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.. 2001;11(1):641–4.
Abstract: Diffusion-cooled aluminum hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers are of interest for low-noise high resolution THz-frequency spectroscopy within astrophysics. Al HEB mixers offer operation with an order of magnitude less local oscillator power, higher intermediate frequency bandwidth and potentially lower noise than competing devices made from other materials. We report on mixer experiments at 618 GHz with devices fabricated from films with sheet resistances in the range from about 55 Ω down to about 9 Ω per square. Intermediate frequency bandwidths of up to 3 GHz were measured (1 μm long device), with absorbed local oscillator power levels of 0.5 to 6 nW and mixer conversion up to -21.5 dB. High input coupling efficiency implies that the electrons in the device are able to thermalize before escaping from the device. It was found that the long coherence length complicates mixer operations due to the proximity of the contact pads. Also, saturation at the IF frequency may be a concern for this type of device, and warrants further studies.
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Verevkin A, Xu Y, Zheng X, Williams C, Sobolewski R, Okunev O, et al. Superconducting NbN-based ultrafast hot-electron single-photon detector for infrared range. In: Proc. 12th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2001. p. 462–8.
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Gol'tsman G, Semenov A, Smirnov K, Voronov B. Background limited quantum superconducting detector for submillimeter wavelengths. In: Proc. 12th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2001. p. 469–75.
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Gol’tsman GN, Smirnov KV. Electron-phonon interaction in a two-dimensional electron gas of semiconductor heterostructures at low temperatures. Jetp Lett. 2001;74(9):474–9.
Abstract: Theoretical and experimental works devoted to studying electron-phonon interaction in the two-dimensional electron gas of semiconductor heterostructures at low temperatures in the case of strong heating in an electric field under quasi-equilibrium conditions and in a quantizing magnetic field perpendicular to the 2D layer are considered.
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Somani S, Kasapi S, Wilsher K, Lo W, Sobolewski R, Gol’tsman G. New photon detector for device analysis: Superconducting single-photon detector based on a hot electron effect. J Vac Sci Technol B. 2001;19(6):2766–9.
Abstract: A novel superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD), intrinsically capable of high quantum efficiency (up to 20%) over a wide spectral range (ultraviolet to infrared), with low dark counts (<1 cps), and fast (<40 ps) timing resolution, is described. This SSPD has been used to perform timing measurements on complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) by detecting the infrared light emission from switching transistors. Measurements performed from the backside of a 0.13 μm geometry flip–chip IC are presented. Other potential applications for this detector are in telecommunications, quantum cryptography, biofluorescence, and chemical kinetics.
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Gol’tsman GN, Okunev O, Chulkova G, Lipatov A, Semenov A, Smirnov K, et al. Picosecond superconducting single-photon optical detector. Appl Phys Lett. 2001;79(6):705–7.
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate a supercurrent-assisted, hotspot-formation mechanism for ultrafast detection and counting of visible and infrared photons. A photon-induced hotspot leads to a temporary formation of a resistive barrier across the superconducting sensor strip and results in an easily measurable voltage pulse. Subsequent hotspot healing in ∼30 ps time frame, restores the superconductivity (zero-voltage state), and the detector is ready to register another photon. Our device consists of an ultrathin, very narrow NbN strip, maintained at 4.2 K and current-biased close to the critical current. It exhibits an experimentally measured quantum efficiency of ∼20% for 0.81 μm wavelength photons and negligible dark counts.
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Xu Y, Zheng X, Williams C, Verevkin A, Sobolewski R, Chulkova G, et al. Ultrafast superconducting hot-electron single-photon detector. In: CLEO.; 2001. 345.
Abstract: Summary form only given. The current most-pressing need is to develop a practical, GHz-range counting single-photon detector, operational at either 1.3-/spl mu/m or 1.55-/spl mu/m radiation wavelength, for novel quantum communication and quantum cryptography systems. The presented solution of the problem is to use an ultrafast hot-electron photodetector, based on superconducting thin-film microstructures. This type of device is very promising, due to the macroscopic quantum nature of superconductors. Very fast response time and the small, (meV range) value of the superconducting energy gap characterize the superconductor, leading to the efficient avalanche process even for infrared photons.
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Kawamura J, Tong C-YE, Blundell R, Papa DC, Hunter TR, Patt F, et al. Terahertz-frequency waveguide NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 2001;11(1):952–4.
Abstract: We have developed a low-noise waveguide heterodyne receiver for operation near 1 THz using phonon-cooled NbN hot-electron bolometers. The mixer elements are submicron-sized microbridges of 4 nm-thick NbN film fabricated on a quartz substrate. Operating at a bath temperature of 4.2 K, the double-sideband receiver noise temperature is 760 K at 1.02 THz and 1100 K at 1.26 THz. The local oscillator is provided by solid-state sources, and power measured at the source is less than 1 /spl mu/W. The intermediate frequency bandwidth exceeds 2 GHz. The receiver was used to make the first ground-based heterodyne detection of a celestial spectroscopic line above 1 THz.
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Hübers H-W, Schubert J, Krabbe A, Birk M, Wagner G, Semenov A, et al. Parylene anti-reflection coating of a quasi-optical hot-electron-bolometric mixer at terahertz frequencies. Infrared Physics & Technology. 2001;42(1):41–7.
Abstract: Parylene C was investigated as anti-reflection coating for silicon at terahertz frequencies. Measurements with a Fourier-transform spectrometer show that the transmittance of pure silicon can be improved by about 30% when applying a layer of Parylene C with a quarter wavelength optical thickness. The 10% bandwidth of this coating extends from 1.5 to 3 THz for a center frequency of 2.3–2.5 THz, where the transmittance is constant. Heterodyne measurements demonstrate that the noise temperature of a hot-electron-bolometric mixer can be reduced significantly by coating the silicon lens of the hybrid antenna with a quarter wavelength Parylene C layer. Compared to the same mixer with an uncoated lens the improvement is about 30% at a frequency of 2.5 THz.
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