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Trifonov, V. A., Karasik, B. S., Zorin, M. A., Gol’tsman, G. N., Gershenzon, E. M., Lindgren, M., et al. (1996). 9.6 μm wavelength mixing in a patterned YBa2Cu3O7‐δ thin film. Appl. Phys. Lett., 68(10), 1418–1420.
Abstract: Hot‐electron bolometric (HEB) mixing of 9.6 μm infrared radiation from two lasers in high‐quality YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) patterned thin film has been demonstrated. A heterodyne measurement showed an intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth of 18 GHz, limited by our measurement system. An intrinsic limit of 100 GHz is predicted. Between 0.1 and 1 GHz intermediate frequency, temperature fluctuations with an equivalent output noise temperature Tfl up to ∼150 K, contributed to the mixer noise while Johnson noise dominated above 1 GHz. The overall conversion loss at 77 K at low intermediate frequencies was measured to be ∼25 dB, of which 13 dB was due to the coupling loss. The HEB mixer is very promising for use in heterodyne receivers within the whole infrared range.
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Ejrnaes, M., Cristiano, R., Quaranta, O., Pagano, S., Gaggero, A., Mattioli, F., et al. (2007). A cascade switching superconducting single photon detector. Appl. Phys. Lett., 91(26), 262509 (1 to 3).
Abstract: We have realized superconducting single photon detectors with reduced inductance and increased signal pulse amplitude. The detectors are based on a parallel connection of ultrathin NbN nanowires with a common bias inductance. When properly biased, an absorbed photon induces a cascade switch of all the parallel wires generating a signal pulse amplitude of 2mV. The parallel wire configuration lowers the detector inductance and reduces the response time well below 1ns.
This work was performed in the framework of the EU project “SINPHONIA” NMP4-CT-2005-016433.
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Rasulova, G. K., Brunkov, P. N., Pentin, I. V., Egorov, A. Y., Knyazev, D. A., Andrianov, A. V., et al. (2012). A weakly coupled semiconductor superlattice as a potential for a radio frequency modulated terahertz light emitter. Appl. Phys. Lett., 100(13), 131104 (1 to 4).
Abstract: The bolometer response to THz radiation from a weakly coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice biased in the self-oscillations regime has been observed. The bolometer signal is modulated with the frequency equal to the fundamental frequency of superlattice self-oscillations. The frequency spectrum of the bolometer signal contains higher harmonics whose frequency is a multiple of fundamental frequency of self-oscillations.
This work was supported by State Contracts Nos. 16.740.11.0044 and 16.552.11.7002 of Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Structural characterization was made on the equipment of the Joint Research Centre «Material science and characterization in advanced technology» (Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia).
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Inderbitzin, K., Engel, A., Schilling, A., Il'in, K., & Siegel, M. (2012). An ultra-fast superconducting Nb nanowire single-photon detector for soft x-rays. Appl. Phys. Lett., 101.
Abstract: Although superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are well studied regarding the
detection of infrared/optical photons and keV-molecules, no studies on continuous x-ray photon
counting by thick-film detectors have been reported so far. We fabricated a 100 nm thick niobium
x-ray SNSPD (an X-SNSPD) and studied its detection capability of photons with keV-energies in
continuous mode. The detector is capable to detect photons even at reduced bias currents of 0.4%,
which is in sharp contrast to optical thin-film SNSPDs. No dark counts were recorded in extended
measurement periods. Strikingly, the signal amplitude distribution depends significantly on the photon
energy spectrum.VC
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Ferrari, S., Kovalyuk, V., Vetter, A., Lee, C., Rockstuhl, C., Semenov, A., et al. (2019). Analysis of the detection response of waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors at high count rate. Appl. Phys. Lett., 115(10), 101104.
Abstract: Nanophotonic circuitry and superconducting nanowires have been successfully combined for detecting single photons, propagating in an integrated photonic circuit, with high efficiency and low noise and timing uncertainty. Waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) can nowadays be engineered to achieve subnanosecond recovery times and can potentially be adopted for applications requiring Gcps count rates. However, particular attention shall be paid to such an extreme count rate regime since artifacts in the detector functionality emerge. In particular, a count-rate dependent detection efficiency has been encountered that can compromise the accuracy of quantum detector tomography experiments. Here, we investigate the response of waveguide-integrated SNSPDs at high photon flux and identify the presence of parasitic currents due to the accumulation of charge in the readout electronics to cause the above-mentioned artifact in the detection efficiency. Our approach allows us to determine the maximum photon count rate at which the detector can be operated without adverse effects. Our findings are particularly important to avoid artifacts when applying SNSPDs for quantum tomography.
We acknowledge support through ERC Consolidator Grant No. 724707 and from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through Project No. PE 1832/5-1,2, as well as funding by the Volkswagen Foundation. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 675745. V.K. and G.G. acknowledge support from the Russian Science Foundation Project No. 16-12-00045 (NbN film deposition and testing). A.V. acknowledges support from the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics (KSOP).
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Floet D. W., Gao J. R., Klapwijk T. M., & de Korte P. A. J. (2000). Bias Dependence of the Thermal Time Constant in Nb Superconducting Diffusion-Cooled HEB Mixers. Appl. Phys. Lett., 77, 1719.
Abstract: We present an experimental study of the intermediate frequency bandwidth of a Nb diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer for different bias voltages. The measurements show that the bandwidth increases with increasing voltage. Analysis of the data reveals that this effect is mainly caused by a decrease of the intrinsic thermal time of the mixer and that the effect of electrothermal feedback through the intermediate frequency circuit is small. The results are understood using a qualitative model, which takes into account the different effective diffusion constants in the normal and superconducting domains.
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Kerman, A. J., Dauler, E. A., Yang, J. K. W., Rosfjord, K. M., Anant, V., Berggren, K. K., et al. (2007). Constriction-limited detection efficiency of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 90(10), 101110 (1 to 3).
Abstract: We investigate the source of the large variations in the observed detection efficiencies of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors between many nominally identical devices. Through both electrical and optical measurements, we infer that these variations arise from “constrictions:” highly localized regions of the nanowires where the effective cross-sectional area for superconducting current is reduced. These constrictions limit the bias-current density to well below its critical value over the remainder of the wire, and thus prevent the detection efficiency from reaching the high values that occur in these devices when they are biased near the critical current density.
This work is sponsored by the United States Air Force under Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0002.
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Gousev, Y. P., Semenov, A. D., Pechen, E. V., Varlashkin, A. V., Nebosis, R. S., & Renk K. F. (1996). Coupling of terahertz radiation to a high-Т(с) superconducting hot electron bolometer mixer. Appl. Phys. Lett.,, 69, 691–693.
Abstract: We report on efficient coupling of THz radiation to a high-T(c) superconducting hot electron bolometer that is suitable for heterodyne detection. Our quasioptical system consisted of a planar self-complementary spiral antenna on a dielectric substrate clamped to an extended hyperhemispherical lens. The antenna was integrated into a co-planar line for broadband intermediate frequency matching. Measurements in the homodyne regime at a frequency of 2.5 THz showed a radiation pattern with a beam width of 1° and a coupling efficiency of 0.1. We measured, at an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz, an output noise temperature of'160 K and estimated for the device, operated in the heterodyne regime, a system noise temperature of 30 000 K. We also discuss possibilities of significant improvement of the sensitivity.
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Mannino, G., Spinella, C., Ruggeri, R., La Magna, A., Fisicaro, G., Fazio, E., et al. (2010). Crystallization of implanted amorphous silicon during millisecond annealing by infrared laser irradiation. Appl. Phys. Lett., 97(2), 3.
Abstract: We investigated the homogenous nucleation of crystalline grains in amorphous Si during transient temperature pulse of few milliseconds IR laser irradiation. The crystallized volume fraction is ~80%. Significant crystallization occurs in nonsteady regime because of the rapid temperature variation (106 °C/s). Our model combines the time evolution of the crystal grain population with the consumption of the amorphous volume due to the growth of grains. Thanks to the experimental approach based on a laser source to heat α-Si and the theoretical model we extended the description of the spontaneous crystallization up to 1323 K or 250 K above the temperature investigated by conventional annealing.
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Swetz, D. S., Bennett, D. A., Irwin, K. D., Schmidt, D. R., & Ullom, J. N. (2012). Current distribution and transition width in superconducting transition-edge sensors. Appl. Phys. Lett., 101, 242603.
Abstract: Present models of the superconducting-to-normal transition in transition-edge sensors (TESs) do not describe the current distribution within a biased TES. This distribution is complicated by normal-metal features that are integral to TES design. We present a model with one free parameter that describes the evolution of the current distribution with bias. To probe the current distribution experimentally, we fabricated TES devices with different current return geometries. Devices where the current return geometry mirrors current flow within the device have sharper transitions, thus allowing for a direct test of the current-flow model.Measurements from these devices show that current meanders through a TES low in the resistivetransition but flows across the normal-metal features by 40% of the normal-state resistance. Comparison of transition sharpness between device designs reveals that self-induced magnetic fields play an important role in determining the width of the superconducting transition.
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