Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1707.05643 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Physical mechanisms of timing jitter in photon detection by current-carrying superconducting nanowires

Mariia Sidorova, Alexej D. Semenov, Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers, Ilya Charaev, Artem A. Kuzmin, Steffen Doerner, M. Siegel

Published Nov 6, 2017• 62 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We studied timing jitter in the appearance of photon counts in meandering nanowires with different fractional amount of bends. Intrinsic timing jitter, which is the probability density function of the random time delay between photon absorption in current-carrying superconducting nanowire and appearance of the normal domain, reveals two different underlying physical mechanisms. In the deterministic regime, which is realized at large photon energies and large currents, jitter is controlled by position-dependent detection threshold in straight parts of meanders. It decreases with the increase in the current. At small photon energies, jitter increases and its current dependence disappears. In this probabilistic regime jitter is controlled by Poisson process in that magnetic vortices jump randomly across the wire in areas adjacent to the bends.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.96.184504

Related papers

Intrinsic Jitter in Photon Detection by Straight Superconducting Nanowires

Mariia Sidorova, Alexej D. Semenov, Artem A. Kuzmin +3 more

Timing jitter inherent in photon detection by superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors has different values and behaves differently for detection events originating in bends and in straights of nanowires. Generally, jitter is larger for events in bends. Although, for typical meandering nanowire, contribution of bends to the integral jitter is almost negligible due to small geometric weight of bends in the meander, it reduces the accuracy of extracting the value of local jitter in straights. Here we report on the intrinsic jitter, which was measured in a straight nanowire without bends. Standard deviation in the intrinsic jitter for detection events in the straight nanowire is smaller than 6.5 ps for photons with the wavelength 794 nm and 7.7 ps for 1560 nm. This value is less than jitter magnitudes in straights, which were extracted from the jitter measured previously for the meandering nanowire. Coupling of photons to the nanowire through sufficiently long optical fiber increases integral jitter and causes asymmetry in the jitter histogram. However, this optical asymmetry differs qualitatively from the asymmetry caused by the detection process itself at small photon energies.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•May 18, 2018•13 citations

Timing jitter in photon detection by straight superconducting nanowires: Effect of magnetic field and photon flux

Mariia Sidorova, Alexej D. Semenov, Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers +6 more

We studied the effects of the external magnetic field and photon flux on timing jitter in photon detection by straight superconducting NbN nanowires. At two wavelengths 800 and 1560 nm, statistical distribution in the appearance times of photon counts exhibits Gaussian shape at small times and an exponential tail at large times. The characteristic exponential time is larger for photons with smaller energy and increases with external magnetic field while variations in the Gaussian part of the distribution are less pronounced. Increasing photon flux drives the nanowire from the discrete quantum detection regime to the uniform bolometric regime that averages out fluctuations of the total number of nonequilibrium electrons created by the photon and drastically reduces jitter. The difference between standard deviations of Gaussian parts of distributions for these two regimes provides the measure for the strength of electron-number fluctuations; it increases with the photon energy. We show that the two-dimensional hot-spot detection model explains qualitatively the effect of magnetic field.

arXiv:1806.07183•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Oct 11, 2018•25 citations

Probabilistic vortex crossing criterion for superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Saman Jahani, Li-Ping Yang, Adrián Buganza Tepole +3 more

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors have emerged as a promising technology for quantum metrology from the mid-infrared to ultraviolet frequencies. Despite recent experimental successes, a predictive model to describe the detection event in these detectors is needed to optimize the detection metrics. Here, we propose a probabilistic criterion for single-photon detection based on single-vortex (flux quanta) crossing the width of the nanowire. Our model makes a connection between the dark counts and photon counts near the detection threshold. The finite-difference calculations demonstrate that a change in the bias current distribution as a result of the photon absorption significantly increases the probability of single-vortex crossing even if the vortex potential barrier has not vanished completely. We estimate the instrument response function and show that the timing uncertainty of this vortex tunneling process corresponds to a fundamental limit in timing jitter of the click event. We demonstrate a trade-space between this intrinsic (quantum) timing jitter, quantum efficiency, and dark count rate in TaN, WSi, and NbN superconducting nanowires at different experimental conditions. Our detection model can also explain the experimental observation of exponential decrease in the quantum efficiency of SNSPDs at lower energies. This leads to a pulse-width dependency in the quantum efficiency, and it can be further used as an experimental test to compare across different detection models.

arXiv:1901.09291•Journal of Applied Physics•Apr 9, 2020•19 citations

Origin and mechanism of the wavelength-dependent timing jitter in superconducting nanowire

Jiang-Hua Guo, Youcheng Tian, Lingxin Long +4 more

A 2D hot spot diffusion model for describing the superconducting nanowire response to a single photon is presented. Compared to the 1D hot belt model, the 2D hot spot model can capture the initial stage of the hot spot evolution after photon absorption, which is beneficial for achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the origins and underlying physics of the timing jitter in superconducting nanowire-based single-photon detectors. Based on the established 2D diffusion model, the cross-section effect induced by the random radial position of the photon absorption is investigated, which can qualitatively explain the asymmetry and non-Gaussian shape of the probability density function (PDF) distributions of the time delay. Furthermore, the shift of the right half of the PDF distributions with increasing photon wavelength can also be clarified in the framework of the innovative 2D diffusion model. Considering the spatial inhomogeneity along the nanowire, the calculated results of the timing jitter based on the Monte Carlo methods are in good agreement with the experimental observations. The proposed 2D hot spot diffusion model will not only shed light on the origin and influence of the timing jitter but also reveal the working principle of superconducting nanowire devices.

Journal of Nanophotonics•Nov 27, 2020•1 citation

Origins of the wavelength dependent timing jitter in superconducting nanowire single photon detector

Hengbin Zhang, Youcheng Tian, Jiang-Hua Guo +3 more

A 2D hot spot diffusion model for describing the superconducting nanowire response to single photon is presented. We develop the 1D hot belt model to 2D hot spot model and can capture the initial stage of the hot spot evolution after photon absorption, this is helpful to comprehensive understand the origins and underlying physics of time jitter in superconducting nanowire-based single-photon detectors. Furthermore, the developed model can qualitatively explain the asymmetry and photon wavelength dependent probability density function (PDF) of the delay time. We find that the left and right half of the PDF distributions respective exhibit the Gauss and non-Gauss shape as increasing the excitation wavelength or decreasing the bias current, and the origins are discussed and analyzed in the framework of newly developed 2D model. The proposed 2D hot spot diffusion model will not only sheds light on the origin and influence of the timing jitter but will also reveal the work principle of the superconducting nanowire devices.

Optical Sensing and Detection•Apr 1, 2020•1 citation

Minimal Timing Jitter in Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

Denis Yu. Vodolazov

The results of this theoretical study are important for applications dealing with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), which include quantum information processing. The author shows that the variation in delay time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{d}$ (timing jitter) of the voltage response after absorption of a single photon, connected to either position-dependent response or variation in the energy deposited to electrons, could be as small as 1 ps when the current in the superconducting strip approaches the depairing current. Reducing this jitter is a main topic of SNSPD research, and understanding the origins of these variations is necessary to that end.

arXiv:1807.07709•Physical Review Applied•Jan 9, 2019•32 citations
We studied timing jitter in the appearance of photon counts in meandering nanowires with different fractional amount of bends. Intrinsic timing jitter, which is the probability density function of the random time delay between photon absorption in current-carrying superconducting nanowire and appearance of the normal domain, reveals two different underlying physical mechanisms. In the deterministic regime, which is realized at large photon energies and large currents, jitter is controlled by position-dependent detection threshold in straight parts of meanders. It decreases with the increase in the current. At small photon energies, jitter increases and its current dependence disappears. In this probabilistic regime jitter is controlled by Poisson process in that magnetic vortices jump randomly across the wire in areas adjacent to the bends.
Timing jitter inherent in photon detection by superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors has different values and behaves differently for detection events originating in bends and in straights of nanowires. Generally, jitter is larger for events in bends. Although, for typical meandering nanowire, contribution of bends to the integral jitter is almost negligible due to small geometric weight of bends in the meander, it reduces the accuracy of extracting the value of local jitter in straights. Here we report on the intrinsic jitter, which was measured in a straight nanowire without bends. Standard deviation in the intrinsic jitter for detection events in the straight nanowire is smaller than 6.5 ps for photons with the wavelength 794 nm and 7.7 ps for 1560 nm. This value is less than jitter magnitudes in straights, which were extracted from the jitter measured previously for the meandering nanowire. Coupling of photons to the nanowire through sufficiently long optical fiber increases integral jitter and causes asymmetry in the jitter histogram. However, this optical asymmetry differs qualitatively from the asymmetry caused by the detection process itself at small photon energies.
We studied the effects of the external magnetic field and photon flux on timing jitter in photon detection by straight superconducting NbN nanowires. At two wavelengths 800 and 1560 nm, statistical distribution in the appearance times of photon counts exhibits Gaussian shape at small times and an exponential tail at large times. The characteristic exponential time is larger for photons with smaller energy and increases with external magnetic field while variations in the Gaussian part of the distribution are less pronounced. Increasing photon flux drives the nanowire from the discrete quantum detection regime to the uniform bolometric regime that averages out fluctuations of the total number of nonequilibrium electrons created by the photon and drastically reduces jitter. The difference between standard deviations of Gaussian parts of distributions for these two regimes provides the measure for the strength of electron-number fluctuations; it increases with the photon energy. We show that the two-dimensional hot-spot detection model explains qualitatively the effect of magnetic field.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors have emerged as a promising technology for quantum metrology from the mid-infrared to ultraviolet frequencies. Despite recent experimental successes, a predictive model to describe the detection event in these detectors is needed to optimize the detection metrics. Here, we propose a probabilistic criterion for single-photon detection based on single-vortex (flux quanta) crossing the width of the nanowire. Our model makes a connection between the dark counts and photon counts near the detection threshold. The finite-difference calculations demonstrate that a change in the bias current distribution as a result of the photon absorption significantly increases the probability of single-vortex crossing even if the vortex potential barrier has not vanished completely. We estimate the instrument response function and show that the timing uncertainty of this vortex tunneling process corresponds to a fundamental limit in timing jitter of the click event. We demonstrate a trade-space between this intrinsic (quantum) timing jitter, quantum efficiency, and dark count rate in TaN, WSi, and NbN superconducting nanowires at different experimental conditions. Our detection model can also explain the experimental observation of exponential decrease in the quantum efficiency of SNSPDs at lower energies. This leads to a pulse-width dependency in the quantum efficiency, and it can be further used as an experimental test to compare across different detection models.
A 2D hot spot diffusion model for describing the superconducting nanowire response to a single photon is presented. Compared to the 1D hot belt model, the 2D hot spot model can capture the initial stage of the hot spot evolution after photon absorption, which is beneficial for achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the origins and underlying physics of the timing jitter in superconducting nanowire-based single-photon detectors. Based on the established 2D diffusion model, the cross-section effect induced by the random radial position of the photon absorption is investigated, which can qualitatively explain the asymmetry and non-Gaussian shape of the probability density function (PDF) distributions of the time delay. Furthermore, the shift of the right half of the PDF distributions with increasing photon wavelength can also be clarified in the framework of the innovative 2D diffusion model. Considering the spatial inhomogeneity along the nanowire, the calculated results of the timing jitter based on the Monte Carlo methods are in good agreement with the experimental observations. The proposed 2D hot spot diffusion model will not only shed light on the origin and influence of the timing jitter but also reveal the working principle of superconducting nanowire devices.
A 2D hot spot diffusion model for describing the superconducting nanowire response to single photon is presented. We develop the 1D hot belt model to 2D hot spot model and can capture the initial stage of the hot spot evolution after photon absorption, this is helpful to comprehensive understand the origins and underlying physics of time jitter in superconducting nanowire-based single-photon detectors. Furthermore, the developed model can qualitatively explain the asymmetry and photon wavelength dependent probability density function (PDF) of the delay time. We find that the left and right half of the PDF distributions respective exhibit the Gauss and non-Gauss shape as increasing the excitation wavelength or decreasing the bias current, and the origins are discussed and analyzed in the framework of newly developed 2D model. The proposed 2D hot spot diffusion model will not only sheds light on the origin and influence of the timing jitter but will also reveal the work principle of the superconducting nanowire devices.
The results of this theoretical study are important for applications dealing with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), which include quantum information processing. The author shows that the variation in delay time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{d}$ (timing jitter) of the voltage response after absorption of a single photon, connected to either position-dependent response or variation in the energy deposited to electrons, could be as small as 1 ps when the current in the superconducting strip approaches the depairing current. Reducing this jitter is a main topic of SNSPD research, and understanding the origins of these variations is necessary to that end.