Verevkin A, Pearlman A, Slysz W, Zhang J, Currie M, Korneev A, et al. Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors for near-infrared-wavelength quantum communications. J Modern Opt. 2004;51(9-10):1447–58.
Abstract: The paper reports progress on the design and development of niobium-nitride, superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) for ultrafast counting of near-infrared photons for secure quantum communications. The SSPDs operate in the quantum detection mode, based on photon-induced hotspot formation and subsequent appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron-width superconducting stripe. The devices are fabricated from 3.5 nm thick NbN films and kept at cryogenic (liquid helium) temperatures inside a cryostat. The detector experimental quantum efficiency in the photon-counting mode reaches above 20% in the visible radiation range and up to 10% at the 1.3–1.55 μn infrared range. The dark counts are below 0.01 per second. The measured real-time counting rate is above 2 GHz and is limited by readout electronics (the intrinsic response time is below 30 ps). The SSPD jitter is below 18 ps, and the best-measured value of the noise-equivalent power (NEP) is 2 × 10−18 W/Hz1/2. at 1.3 μm. In terms of photon-counting efficiency and speed, these NbN SSPDs significantly outperform semiconductor avalanche photodiodes and photomultipliers.
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Semenov AD, Gol'tsman GN, Sobolewski R. Hot-electron effect in superconductors and its applications for radiation sensors. Supercond Sci Technol. 2002;15(4):R1–R16.
Abstract: The paper reviews the main aspects of nonequilibrium hot-electron phenomena in superconductors and various theoretical models developed to describe the hot-electron effect. We discuss implementation of the hot-electron avalanche mechanism in superconducting radiation sensors and present the most successful practical devices, such as terahertz mixers and direct intensity detectors, for far-infrared radiation. Our presentation also includes the novel approach to hot-electron quantum detection implemented in superconducting x-ray to optical photon counters.
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Korneeva YP, Manova NN, Florya IN, Mikhailov MY, Dobrovolskiy OV, Korneev AA, et al. Different single-photon response of wide and narrow superconducting MoxSi1−x strips. Phys Rev Applied. 2020;13(2):024011 (1 to 7).
Abstract: The photon count rate (PCR) of superconducting single-photon detectors made of MoxSi1−x films shaped as a 2-μm-wide strip and a 115-nm-wide meander strip line is studied experimentally as a function of the dc biasing current at different values of the perpendicular magnetic field. For the wide strip, a crossover current Icross is observed, below which the PCR increases with an increasing magnetic field and above which it decreases. This behavior contrasts with the narrow MoxSi1−x meander, for which no crossover current is observed, thus suggesting different photon-detection mechanisms in the wide and narrow strips. Namely, we argue that in the wide strip the absorbed photon destroys superconductivity locally via the vortex-antivortex mechanism for the emergence of resistance, while in the narrow meander superconductivity is destroyed across the whole strip line, forming a hot belt. Accordingly, the different photon-detection mechanisms associated with vortices and the hot belt determine the qualitative difference in the dependence of the PCR on the magnetic field.
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Smirnov K, Divochiy A, Vakhtomin Y, Morozov P, Zolotov P, Antipov A, et al. NbN single-photon detectors with saturated dependence of quantum efficiency. Supercond Sci Technol. 2018;31(3):035011 (1 to 8).
Abstract: The possibility of creating NbN superconducting single-photon detectors with saturated dependence of quantum efficiency (QE) versus normalized bias current was investigated. It was shown that the saturation increases for the detectors based on finer films with a lower value of Rs300/Rs20. The decreasing of Rs300/Rs20 was related to the increasing influence of quantum corrections to conductivity of superconductors and, in turn, to the decrease of the electron diffusion coefficient. The best samples have a constant value of system QE 94% at Ib/Ic ~ 0.8 and wavelength 1310 nm.
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Dryazgov M, Semenov A, Manova N, Korneeva Y, Korneev A. Modelling of normal domain evolution after single-photon absorption of a superconducting strip of micron width. In: J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. Vol 1695.; 2020. 012195 (1 to 4).
Abstract: The present paper describes a modelling of normal domain evolution in superconducting strip of micron width using solving differential equations describing the temperature and current changes. The solving results are compared with experimental data. This comparison demonstrates the high accuracy of the model. In future, it is possible to employ this model for improvement of single photon detector based on micron-scale superconducting strips.
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