Florya, I. N., Korneeva, Y. P., Sidorova, M. V., Golikov, A. D., Gaiduchenko, I. A., Fedorov, G. E., et al. (2015). Energy relaxtation and hot spot formation in superconducting single photon detectors SSPDs. In EPJ Web of Conferences (Vol. 103, 10004 (1 to 2)).
Abstract: We have studied the mechanism of energy relaxation and resistive state formation after absorption of a single photon for different wavelengths and materials of single photon detectors. Our results are in good agreement with the hot spot model.
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Elezov, M. S., Ozhegov, R. V., Kurochkin, Y. V., Goltsman, G. N., Makarov, V. S., Samartsev, V. V., et al. (2015). Countermeasures against blinding attack on superconducting nanowire detectors for QKD. In EPJ Web Conf. (Vol. 103, 10002 (1 to 2)).
Abstract: Nowadays, the superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) are used in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) instead of single-photon avalanche photodiodes. Recently bright-light control of the SSPD has been demonstrated. This attack employed a “backdoor” in the detector biasing technique. We developed the autoreset system which returns the SSPD to superconducting state when it is latched. We investigate latched state of the SSPD and define limit conditions for effective blinding attack. Peculiarity of the blinding attack is a long nonsingle photon response of the SSPD. It is much longer than usual single photon response. Besides, we need follow up response duration of the SSPD. These countermeasures allow us to prevent blind attack on SSPDs for Quantum Key Distribution.
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McCarthy, A., Krichel, N. J., Gemmell, N. R., Ren, X., Tanner, M. G., Dorenbos, S. N., et al. (2013). Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection. Opt. Express, 21(7), 8904–8915.
Abstract: This paper highlights a significant advance in time-of-flight depth imaging: by using a scanning transceiver which incorporated a free-running, low noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, we were able to obtain centimeter resolution depth images of low-signature objects in daylight at stand-off distances of the order of one kilometer at the relatively eye-safe wavelength of 1560 nm. The detector used had an efficiency of 18% at 1 kHz dark count rate, and the overall system jitter was ~100 ps. The depth images were acquired by illuminating the scene with an optical output power level of less than 250 µW average, and using per-pixel dwell times in the millisecond regime.
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Ferrari, S., Kovalyuk, V., Hartmann, W., Vetter, A., Kahl, O., Lee, C., et al. (2017). Hot-spot relaxation time current dependence in niobium nitride waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Opt. Express, 25(8), 8739–8750.
Abstract: We investigate how the bias current affects the hot-spot relaxation dynamics in niobium nitride. We use for this purpose a near-infrared pump-probe technique on a waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detector driven in the two-photon regime. We observe a strong increase in the picosecond relaxation time for higher bias currents. A minimum relaxation time of (22 +/- 1)ps is obtained when applying a bias current of 50% of the switching current at 1.7 K bath temperature. We also propose a practical approach to accurately estimate the photon detection regimes based on the reconstruction of the measured detector tomography at different bias currents and for different illumination conditions.
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Vetter, A., Ferrari, S., Rath, P., Alaee, R., Kahl, O., Kovalyuk, V., et al. (2016). Cavity-enhanced and ultrafast superconducting single-photon detectors. Nano Lett., 16(11), 7085–7092.
Abstract: Ultrafast single-photon detectors with high efficiency are of utmost importance for many applications in the context of integrated quantum photonic circuits. Detectors based on superconductor nanowires attached to optical waveguides are particularly appealing for this purpose. However, their speed is limited because the required high absorption efficiency necessitates long nanowires deposited on top of the waveguide. This enhances the kinetic inductance and makes the detectors slow. Here, we solve this problem by aligning the nanowire, contrary to usual choice, perpendicular to the waveguide to realize devices with a length below 1 mum. By integrating the nanowire into a photonic crystal cavity, we recover high absorption efficiency, thus enhancing the detection efficiency by more than an order of magnitude. Our cavity enhanced superconducting nanowire detectors are fully embedded in silicon nanophotonic circuits and efficiently detect single photons at telecom wavelengths. The detectors possess subnanosecond decay ( approximately 120 ps) and recovery times ( approximately 510 ps) and thus show potential for GHz count rates at low timing jitter ( approximately 32 ps). The small absorption volume allows efficient threshold multiphoton detection.
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