© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:1607.07459 · Optics Letters

High-efficiency WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for quantum state engineering in the near infrared

Hanna Le Jeannic, Varun Verma, Adrien Cavaillès, Francesco Marsili, Matthew D. Shaw, Kun Huang, Olivier Morin, Sae Woo Nam, Julien Laurat

Published Nov 10, 2016• 54 citations

Abstract

We report on high-efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on amorphous tungsten silicide and optimized at 1064 nm. At an operating temperature of 1.8 K, we demonstrated a 93% system detection efficiency at this wavelength with a dark noise of a few counts per second. Combined with cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric downconversion, this fiber-coupled detector enabled us to generate narrowband single photons with a heralding efficiency greater than 90% and a high spectral brightness of 0.6×104 photons/(s·mW·MHz). Beyond single-photon generation at large rate, such high-efficiency detectors open the path to efficient multiple-photon heralding and complex quantum state engineering.

DOI: 10.1364/ol.41.005341

Related papers

Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors with High System Detection Efficiency at Telecom Wavelengths

Francesco Marsili, Varun Boehm Verma, Jeff A. Stern +9 more

We report on a fiber-coupled eight-channel single-photon-detection system employing superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on amorphous tungsten silicide (WSi) with system detection efficiency ranging from 81 to 89 % at 1550 nm wavelength.

•Jan 1, 2013•1 citation

55% system detection efficiency with self-aligned WSi superconducting nanowire single photon detectors

Varun Boehm Verma, Francesco Marsili, Burm Baek +5 more

We report a system detection efficiency of 55 % at 1500 nm with an amorphous tungsten-silicide (WSi) superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) using a self-aligned packaging scheme for alignment of the detector and optical fiber.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2012•2 citations

Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors with Enhanced High-Effciency Bandwidth

Stephan Krapick, Marina Hesselberg, Varun Boehm Verma +3 more

We present an alternative approach to the fabrication of highly efficient superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on tungsten silicide. Using well-established technologies for the deposition of dielectric mirrors and anti-reflection coatings in conjunction with an embedded WSi bilayer photon absorber structure, we fabricated a bandwidth-enhanced detector. It exhibits system detection efficiencies (SDE) higher than $\left(87.1\pm1.3\right)\,\%$ in the range from $1450\,\mathrm{nm}$ to $1640\,\mathrm{nm}$, with a maximum of $\left(92.9\pm1.1\right)\,\%$ at $1515\,\mathrm{nm}$. Our measurements indicate SDE enhancements of up to $\left(18.4\pm1.7\right)\,\%$ over a single-absorber WSi SNSPD. The latter has been optimized for 1550 nm for comparison and exhibits maximum SDE of $\left(93.5\pm1.2\right)\,\%$ at 1555 nm. We emphasize that our technological approach has been tested with, but is not limited to, the wavelengths and absorber material presented here. It could be adapted flexibly for multi-color detector systems from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared wavelength range. This bears the potential for significant improvements in many current quantum optical experiments and applications as well as for detector commercialization.

arXiv:1706.00004•May 31, 2017•1 citation

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on amorphous tungsten germanide

Shi‐Jie Yang, Ying Chen, Limin Sun +13 more

In this Letter, we characterized superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on amorphous tungsten germanide (W0.8Ge0.2) superconducting films, which exhibit superconducting properties comparable to those of amorphous WSi. The nanowire width ranges from 60 to 90 nm, with a fixed filling factor of 30%. All fabricated devices exhibit saturated intrinsic detection efficiency for infrared photons with wavelengths up to 2 μm, indicating that WGe is a promising candidate for SNSPDs designed for mid- and far-infrared photon detection. The timing jitter of these detectors, measured with a room-temperature amplifier, ranges from 127 to 234.5 ps. Further improvements can be achieved through device geometry optimization or the implementation of cryogenic amplifiers.

Applied Physics Letters•Apr 21, 2025•4 citations

High-efficiency WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors operating at 2.5 K

Varun Boehm Verma, Korzh, Boris, Bussieres, Félix +7 more

We investigate the operation of WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) at 2.5 K, a temperature which is ∼70% of the superconducting transition temperature (TC) of 3.4 K. We demonstrate saturation of the system detection efficiency at 78 ± 2% at a wavelength of 1310 nm, with a jitter of 191 ps. We find that the jitter at 2.5 K is limited by the noise of the readout and can be improved through the use of cryogenic amplifiers. Operation of SNSPDs with high efficiency at temperatures very close to TC appears to be a unique property of amorphous WSi.

•Jan 1, 2014•55 citations

High-efficiency WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors operating at 2.5 K

V. B. Verma, Boris A. Korzh, Félix Bussières +7 more

We investigate the operation of WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) at 2.5 K, a temperature which is ∼70% of the superconducting transition temperature (TC) of 3.4 K. We demonstrate saturation of the system detection efficiency at 78 ± 2% at a wavelength of 1310 nm, with a jitter of 191 ps. We find that the jitter at 2.5 K is limited by the noise of the readout and can be improved through the use of cryogenic amplifiers. Operation of SNSPDs with high efficiency at temperatures very close to TC appears to be a unique property of amorphous WSi.

arXiv:1406.1810•Applied Physics Letters•Sep 22, 2014•67 citations

We report on high-efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on amorphous tungsten silicide and optimized at 1064 nm. At an operating temperature of 1.8 K, we demonstrated a 93% system detection efficiency at this wavelength with a dark noise of a few counts per second. Combined with cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric downconversion, this fiber-coupled detector enabled us to generate narrowband single photons with a heralding efficiency greater than 90% and a high spectral brightness of 0.6×104 photons/(s·mW·MHz). Beyond single-photon generation at large rate, such high-efficiency detectors open the path to efficient multiple-photon heralding and complex quantum state engineering.

We present an alternative approach to the fabrication of highly efficient superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on tungsten silicide. Using well-established technologies for the deposition of dielectric mirrors and anti-reflection coatings in conjunction with an embedded WSi bilayer photon absorber structure, we fabricated a bandwidth-enhanced detector. It exhibits system detection efficiencies (SDE) higher than

\left(87.1\pm1.3\right)\,\%

in the range from

1450\,\mathrm{nm}

to

1640\,\mathrm{nm}

, with a maximum of

\left(92.9\pm1.1\right)\,\%

at

1515\,\mathrm{nm}

. Our measurements indicate SDE enhancements of up to

\left(18.4\pm1.7\right)\,\%

over a single-absorber WSi SNSPD. The latter has been optimized for 1550 nm for comparison and exhibits maximum SDE of

\left(93.5\pm1.2\right)\,\%

at 1555 nm. We emphasize that our technological approach has been tested with, but is not limited to, the wavelengths and absorber material presented here. It could be adapted flexibly for multi-color detector systems from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared wavelength range. This bears the potential for significant improvements in many current quantum optical experiments and applications as well as for detector commercialization.

In this Letter, we characterized superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on amorphous tungsten germanide (W0.8Ge0.2) superconducting films, which exhibit superconducting properties comparable to those of amorphous WSi. The nanowire width ranges from 60 to 90 nm, with a fixed filling factor of 30%. All fabricated devices exhibit saturated intrinsic detection efficiency for infrared photons with wavelengths up to 2 μm, indicating that WGe is a promising candidate for SNSPDs designed for mid- and far-infrared photon detection. The timing jitter of these detectors, measured with a room-temperature amplifier, ranges from 127 to 234.5 ps. Further improvements can be achieved through device geometry optimization or the implementation of cryogenic amplifiers.

We investigate the operation of WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) at 2.5 K, a temperature which is ∼70% of the superconducting transition temperature (TC) of 3.4 K. We demonstrate saturation of the system detection efficiency at 78 ± 2% at a wavelength of 1310 nm, with a jitter of 191 ps. We find that the jitter at 2.5 K is limited by the noise of the readout and can be improved through the use of cryogenic amplifiers. Operation of SNSPDs with high efficiency at temperatures very close to TC appears to be a unique property of amorphous WSi.

We investigate the operation of WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) at 2.5 K, a temperature which is ∼70% of the superconducting transition temperature (TC) of 3.4 K. We demonstrate saturation of the system detection efficiency at 78 ± 2% at a wavelength of 1310 nm, with a jitter of 191 ps. We find that the jitter at 2.5 K is limited by the noise of the readout and can be improved through the use of cryogenic amplifiers. Operation of SNSPDs with high efficiency at temperatures very close to TC appears to be a unique property of amorphous WSi.