%0 Journal Article
%T Picosecond superconducting single-photon optical detector
%A Gol’tsman, G. N.
%A Okunev, O.
%A Chulkova, G.
%A Lipatov, A.
%A Semenov, A.
%A Smirnov, K.
%A Voronov, B.
%A Dzardanov, A.
%A Williams, C.
%A Sobolewski, R.
%J Appl. Phys. Lett.
%D 2001
%V 79
%N 6
%@ 0003-6951
%F Goltsman_etal2001
%O exported from refbase (https://db.rplab.ru/refbase/show.php?record=1543), last updated on Mon, 24 May 2021 13:30:03 -0500
%X We experimentally demonstrate a supercurrent-assisted, hotspot-formation mechanism for ultrafast detection and counting of visible and infrared photons. A photon-induced hotspot leads to a temporary formation of a resistive barrier across the superconducting sensor strip and results in an easily measurable voltage pulse. Subsequent hotspot healing in ∼30 ps time frame, restores the superconductivity (zero-voltage state), and the detector is ready to register another photon. Our device consists of an ultrathin, very narrow NbN strip, maintained at 4.2 K and current-biased close to the critical current. It exhibits an experimentally measured quantum efficiency of ∼20% for 0.81 μm wavelength photons and negligible dark counts.
%K NbN SSPD
%K SNSPD
%R 10.1063/1.1388868
%U http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.1388868
%U https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1388868
%P 705-707