Abstract: We have studied the influence of an externally applied magnetic field on the photon and dark count rates of meander-type niobium nitride superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Measurements have been performed at a temperature of 4.2 K, and magnetic fields up to 250 mT have been applied perpendicularly to the meander plane. While photon count rates are field independent at weak applied fields, they show a strong dependence at fields starting from approximately ±25 mT. This behavior, as well as the magnetic field dependence of the dark count rates, is in good agreement with the recent theoretical model of vortex-assisted photon detection and spontaneous vortex crossing in narrow superconducting lines. However, the local reduction of the superconducting free energy due to photon absorption, which is the fitting parameter in the model, increases much slower with the photon energy than the model predicts. Furthermore, changes in the free-energy during photon counts and dark counts depend differently on the current that flows through the meander. This indicates that photon counts and dark counts occur in different parts of the meander.

Abstract: We report on the development of a highly sensitive optical receiver for heterodyne IR spectroscopy at the communication wavelength of 1.5 μm (200 THz) by use of a superconducting hot-electron bolometer. The results are important for the resolution of narrow spectral molecular lines in the near-IR range for the study of astronomical objects, as well as for quantum optical tomography and fiber-optic sensing. Receiver configuration as well as fiber-to-detector light coupling designs are discussed. Light absorption of the superconducting detectors was enhanced by nano-optical antennas, which were coupled to optical fibers. An intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth of about 3 GHz was found in agreement with measurements at 300 GHz, and a noise figure of about 25 dB was obtained that was only 10 dB above the quantum limit.

Abstract: Detectors in THz range with high sensitivity are very essential nowadays in different fields: space technology, atmospheric research, medicine and security. The most sensitive heterodyne detectors below 1 THz are the SIS- mixers due to its extremely high non-linearity and low noise level. Nevertheless, their effective range is strongly limited by superconducting gap Δ (about 1 THz for NbN circuits). Above 1 THz the detectors based on HEB (hot electron bolometers) are more effective [1]; their operation frequency is not limited from above and can be up to 70 THz [2]. HEBs can perform as both direct and heterodyne detectors (mixers). All HEB-mixers are used with external heterodyne, most useful are synthesizer with multipliers, quantum cascade lasers or far infrared lasers and backward-wave oscillators. Superconducting integrated receiver (SIR) is based on implementation of both SIS-miser and flux flow oscillator (FFO) acting as heterodyne at single chip [3]. Such receiver has been successfully applied at TELIS balloon-borne instrument for study of atmospheric constituents [4] and looks as very promising device for other THz missions including space research. Thus, there is a task to expand its operating range to higher frequencies. The frequency range of the SIR the operation is limited by both the SIS-mixer and the FFO maximum frequencies. The idea of present work is implementation of the HEB as a mixer in the SIR instead of the SIS traditionally used. We introduce the first results of integrating the HEB-mixer coupled to planar slot antenna with the FFO on one chip. For properly FFO operation the SIS harmonic mixer is used to phase lock the oscillator. The scheme of the SIR based on the HEB- mixer is presented in fig. 1. We have demonstrated the principal possibility of integration of both the HEB-mixer and the flux-flow oscillator on a single chip and succeed with sufficient power coupling for properly receiver operation. We measured the direct response of the HEB coupled to the antenna at THz frequencies by the FTS setup and noise temperature of the receiver with standard Y- factor measuring technique. The SIR operating range 450-620 GHz was achieved with the best uncorrected noise temperature of about 1000 К. One should note that it is still quite low frequencies for effective operation of the HEB-mixer; therefore we expect to obtain the better results for frequencies above 700 GHz (up to 1.2 THz). Another additional task is to increase the FFO frequencies by using NbTiN electrodes instead of NbN; currently we are working on this issue. This work was supported by the RFBR grant, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia and Russian Academy of Sciences. References 1. D. Semenov, H.-W. Hubers, J. Schubert, G. N. Gol’tsman, A. I. Elantiev, B. M. Voronov, E. M. Gershenzon, Design and performance of the lattice-cooled hot-electron terahertz mixer, J. Appl. Phys. 88, 6758, 2000. 2. Maslennikov S. N., Finkel M. I., Antipov S. V. et al. Spiral antenna coupled and directly coupled NbN HEB mixers in the frequency range from 1 to 70THz. Proc. 17 th international symposium on space terahertz technology. Paris, France: 2006.—may. Pp. 177 – 179. 3. V.P. Koshelets, S.V. Shitov. Integrated Superconducting Receivers. Supercond. Sci. Technol. Vol. 13. P. R53-R59. 2000. 4. Gert de Lange, Dick Boersma, Johannes Dercksen et.al. Development and Characterization of the Superconducting Integrated Receiver Channel of the TELIS Atmospheric Sounder. Supercond. Sci. Technol. vol. 23, No 4, 045016 (8pp). 2010.

Abstract: In this work, the results of studying the microstructure and superconducting properties of ultrathin films on the basis of NbN in the initial state and after modification by being subjecting to composite ion beam irradiation with the energy ~1–3) keV are presented. HRTEM analysis showed that the initial films on the sapphire substrate in orientation “c-cut” are characterized by a grain size essentially exceeding the film thickness, while on the other substrates the size of grains corresponds to the thickness of film. Using XPS analysis, it was shown that in the initial films the atomic ratio of Nb and N is 0.51/0.49, respectively, the percentage of oxygen being lower than 5%. For ultrathin films 5 nm in thickness, the critical temperature of transit to superconducting state (T c) is found to be ~3.6 K and the density of critical current is jc ~8MA/cm2. In the work it is experimentally determined that the irradiation of NbN films by composite ion beams leads to the controlled modification of its superconducting properties due to the process of selective substitution of nitrogen atoms on the oxygen atoms.

Abstract: An experimental demonstration of a subcarrier-wave quantum cryptography system with superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) that distributes a secure key in a single-mode fiber at distance of 25 km with a bit rate of 800 kbit/s, a distance of 100 km with a bit rate of 19 kbit/s, and a distance of 200 km with a bit rate of 0.18 kbit/s is described.