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Author Zhang, J.; Verevkin, A.; Slysz, W.; Chulkova, G.; Korneev, A.; Lipatov, A.; Okunev, O.; Gol’tsman, G. N.; Sobolewski, Roman
Title Time-resolved characterization of NbN superconducting single-photon optical detectors Type Conference Article
Year 2017 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume (down) 10313 Issue Pages 103130F (1 to 3)
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract NbN superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) are very promising devices for their picosecond response time, high intrinsic quantum efficiency, and high signal-to-noise ratio within the radiation wavelength from ultraviolet to near infrared (0.4 gm to 3 gm) [1-3]. The single photon counting property of NbN SSPDs have been investigated thoroughly and a model of hotspot formation has been introduced to explain the physics of the photon- counting mechanism [4-6]. At high incident flux density (many-photon pulses), there are, of course, a large number of hotspots simultaneously formed in the superconducting stripe. If these hotspots overlap with each other across the width w of the stripe, a resistive barrier is formed instantly and a voltage signal can be generated. We assume here that the stripe thickness d is less than the electron diffusion length, so the hotspot region can be considered uniform. On the other hand, when the photon flux is so low that on average only one hotspot is formed across w at a given time, the formation of the resistive barrier will be realized only when the supercurrent at sidewalks surpasses the critical current (jr) of the superconducting stripe [1]. In the latter situation, the formation of the resistive barrier is associated with the phase-slip center (PSC) development. The effect of PSCs on the suppression of superconductivity in nanowires has been discussed very recently [8, 9] and is the subject of great interest.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Armitage, J. C.
Language Summary Language Original Title
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Area Expedition Conference Opto-Canada: SPIE Regional Meeting on Optoelectronics, Photonics, and Imaging, 2002, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Notes Downloaded from http://www2.ece.rochester.edu/projects/ufqp/PDF/2002/213NbNTimeOPTO_b.pdf This artcle was published in 2017 with only first author indicated (Zhang, J.). There were 8 more authors! Approved no
Call Number Serial 1750
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Author Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Milostnaya, I.; Antipov, A.; Smirnov, K.; Morozov, D.; Korneev, A.; Voronov, B.; Gol’tsman, G.; Slysz, W.; Wegrzecki, M.; Bar, J.; Grabiec, P.; Górska, 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 2008 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume (down) 7009 Issue Pages 70090V (1 to 8)
Keywords SSPD, SNSPD, single-photon detectors, superconductors, superconducting nanost
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 μm2 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 μm and 1.55 μm 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-heliumstorage 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 < 1.5 ns 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 1s-1. The presented performance parameters show that our single-photon receivers are fully applicable for quantum correlation-type QC systems, including practical quantum cryptography.
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Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Sukhoivanov, I.A.; Svich, V.A.; Shmaliy, Y.S.
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 Serial 1413
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Author Slysz, W.; Wegrzecki, M.; Bar, J.; Grabiec, P.; Gorska, M.; Rieger, E.; Dorenbos, P.; Zwiller, V.; Milostnaya, I.; Minaeva, O.; Antipov, A.; Okunev, O.; Korneev, A.; Smirnov, K.; Voronov, B.; Kaurova, N.; Gol’tsman, G.N.; Kitaygorsky, J.; Pan, D.; Pearlman, A.; Cross, A.; Komissarov, I.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Fiber-coupled NbN superconducting single-photon detectors for quantum correlation measurements Type Conference Article
Year 2007 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume (down) 6583 Issue Pages 65830J (1 to 11)
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD, superconducting single-photon detectors, single-photon detectors, fiber-coupled optical detectors, quantum correlations, superconducting devices
Abstract We have fabricated fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs), designed for quantum-correlationtype experiments. The SSPDs are nanostructured ( 100-nm wide and 4-nm thick) NbN superconducting meandering stripes, operated in the 2 to 4.2 K temperature range, and known for ultrafast and efficient detection of visible to nearinfrared photons with almost negligible dark counts. Our latest devices are pigtailed structures with coupling between the SSPD structure and a single-mode optical fiber achieved using a micromechanical photoresist ring placed directly over the meander. The above arrangement withstands repetitive thermal cycling between liquid helium and room temperature, and we can reach the coupling efficiency of up to  33%. The system quantum efficiency, measured as the ratio of the photons counted by SSPD to the total number of photons coupled into the fiber, in our early devices was found to be around 0.3 % and 1% for 1.55 &mgr;m and 0.9 &mgr;m photon wavelengths, respectively. The photon counting rate exceeded 250 MHz. The receiver with two SSPDs, each individually biased, was placed inside a transport, 60-liter liquid helium Dewar, assuring uninterrupted operation for over 2 months. Since the receiver’s optical and electrical connections are at room temperature, the set-up is suitable for any applications, where single-photon counting capability and fast count rates are desired. In our case, it was implemented for photon correlation experiments. The receiver response time, measured as a second-order photon cross-correlation function, was found to be below 400 ps, with timing jitter of less than 40 ps.
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Publisher Spie Place of Publication Editor Dusek, M.; Hillery, M.S.; Schleich, W.P.; Prochazka, I.; Migdall, A.L.; Pauchard, A.
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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Area Expedition Conference Photon Counting Applications, Quantum Optics, and Quantum Cryptography
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1431
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Author Milostnaya, I.; Korneev, A.; Minaeva, O.; Rubtsova, I.; Slepneva, S.; Seleznev, V.; Chulkova, G.; Okunev, O.; Smirnov, K.; Voronov, B.; Gol’tsman, G.; Slysz, W.; Kitaygorsky, J.; Cross, A.; Pearlman, A.; Sobolewski, R.
Title Superconducting nanostructured detectors capable of single photon counting of mid-infrared optical radiation Type Conference Article
Year 2005 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume (down) 5957 Issue Pages 59570A (1 to 9)
Keywords SSPD, SNSPD, single-photon detectors, superconductors, superconducting
Abstract We report on our progress in research and development of ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) based on ultrathin NbN nanostructures. Our SSPDs were made of the 4-nm-thick NbN films with Tc 11 K, patterned as meander-shaped, 100-nm-wide strips, and covering an area of 10×10 μm2. The detectors exploit a combined detection mechanism, where upon a single-photon absorption, a hotspot of excited electrons and redistribution of the biasing supercurrent, jointly produce a picosecond voltage transient signal across the superconducting nanostripe. The SSPDs are typically operated at 4.2 K, but 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 the optical absorption of our 4-nm-thick NbN film. With the wavelength increase of the incident photons,the QE of SSPDs decreases significantly, but even at the wavelength of 6 μm, the detector is able to count single photons and exhibits QE of about 10-2 %. The dark (false) count rate at 2 K is as low as 2x10-4 s,-1 which makes our detector essentially a background-limited sensor. The very low dark-count rate results in a noise equivalent power (NEP) below 10-18 WHz-1/2 for the mid-infrared range (6 μm). Further improvement of the SSPD performance in the mid-infrared range can be obtained by substituting NbN for another, lower-Tc materials with a narrow superconducting gap and low quasiparticles diffusivity. The use of such superconductors should shift the cutoff wavelength below 10 μm.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Rogalski, A.; Dereniak, E.L.; Sizov, F.F.
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference Infrared Photoelectronics
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1458
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Author Sobolewski, R.; Zhang, J.; Slysz, W.; Pearlman, A.; Verevkin, A.; Lipatov, A.; Okunev, O.; Chulkova, G.; Korneev, A.; Smirnov, K.; Kouminov, P.; Voronov, B.; Kaurova, N.; Drakinsky, V.; Goltsman, G. N.
Title Ultrafast superconducting single-photon optical detectors Type Conference Article
Year 2003 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE
Volume (down) 5123 Issue Pages 1-11
Keywords NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We present a new class of single-photon devices for counting of both visible and infrared photons. Our superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) are characterized by the intrinsic quantum efficiency (QE) reaching up to 100%, above 10 GHz counting rate, and negligible dark counts. The detection mechanism is based on the photon-induced hotspot formation and subsequent appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron-wide superconducting stripe. The devices are fabricated from 3.5-nm-thick NbN films and operate at 4.2 K, well below the NbN superconducting transition temperature. Various continuous and pulsed laser sources in the wavelength range from 0.4 μm up to >3 μm were implemented in our experiments, enabling us to determine the detector QE in the photon-counting mode, response time, and jitter. For our best 3.5-nm-thick, 10×10 μm2-area devices, QE was found to reach almost 100% for any wavelength shorter than about 800 nm. For longer-wavelength (infrared) radiation, QE decreased exponentially with the photon wavelength increase. Time-resolved measurements of our SSPDs showed that the system-limited detector response pulse width was below 150 ps. The system jitter was measured to be 35 ps. In terms of the counting rate, jitter, and dark counts, the NbN SSPDs significantly outperform their semiconductor counterparts. Already identifeid and implemented applications of our devices range from noninvasive testing of semiconductor VLSI circuits to free-space quantum communications and quantum cryptography.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Spigulis, J.; Teteris, J.; Ozolinsh, M.; Lusis, A.
Language Summary Language Original Title
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Area Expedition Conference Advanced Optical Devices, Technologies, and Medical Applications
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1513
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