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arXiv:1911.09485 · Nano Letters

Resolving Photon Numbers Using a Superconducting Nanowire with Impedance-Matching Taper

Di Zhu, Marco Colangelo, Changchen Chen, Boris A. Korzh, Franco N. C. Wong, Matthew D. Shaw, Karl K. Berggren

Published Apr 9, 2020• 103 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Time- and number-resolved photon detection is crucial for quantum information processing. Existing photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors usually suffer from limited timing and dark-count performance or require complex fabrication and operation. Here, we demonstrate a PNR detector at telecommunication wavelengths based on a single superconducting nanowire with an integrated impedance-matching taper. The taper provides a kΩ load impedance to the nanowire, making the detector's output amplitude sensitive to the number of photon-induced hotspots. The prototyping device was able to resolve up to four absorbed photons with 16.1 ps timing jitter and <2 c.p.s. device dark count rate. Its exceptional distinction between single- and two-photon responses is ideal for high-fidelity coincidence counting and allowed us to directly observe bunching of photon pairs from a single output port of a Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer. This detector architecture may provide a practical solution to applications that require high timing resolution and few-photon discrimination.

DOI
10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00985

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Time- and number-resolved photon detection is crucial for quantum information processing. Existing photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors usually suffer from limited timing and dark-count performance or require complex fabrication and operation. Here, we demonstrate a PNR detector at telecommunication wavelengths based on a single superconducting nanowire with an integrated impedance-matching taper. The taper provides a kΩ load impedance to the nanowire, making the detector's output amplitude sensitive to the number of photon-induced hotspots. The prototyping device was able to resolve up to four absorbed photons with 16.1 ps timing jitter and <2 c.p.s. device dark count rate. Its exceptional distinction between single- and two-photon responses is ideal for high-fidelity coincidence counting and allowed us to directly observe bunching of photon pairs from a single output port of a Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer. This detector architecture may provide a practical solution to applications that require high timing resolution and few-photon discrimination.
Simulations are run to optimize the ability to resolve the number of photons detected from the pulse height by a Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector (SNSPD). This is set up in a manner that features an impedance-matching transmission line taper that provides a characteristic impedance which transitions from kΩ to 50 Ω, with the taper providing an effective load impedance that outputs pulses with not only larger amplitudes but also showed a distinct separation for multi-photon events. The first part of this project tries to computationally match the experimental results obtained by our collaborators at MIT. Once these results are achieved, we try to modify the device geometry to improve the key detector metrics which include timing jitter, dark count rate, reset time, and overall detection efficiency.
Conventional readout of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) sets an upper bound on the output voltage to be the product of the bias current and the load impedance, IB × Zload, where Zload is limited to 50 Ω in standard r.f. electronics. Here, we break this limit by interfacing the 50 Ω load and the SNSPD using an integrated superconducting transmission line taper. The taper is a transformer that effectively loads the SNSPD with high impedance without latching. At the expense of reduced maximum counting rate, it increases the amplitude of the detector output while preserving the fast rising edge. Using a taper with a starting width of 500 nm, we experimentally observed a 3.6× higher pulse amplitude, 3.7× faster slew rate, and 25.1 ps smaller timing jitter. The results match our numerical simulation, which incorporates both the hotspot dynamics in the SNSPD and the distributed nature in the transmission line taper. The taper studied here may become a useful tool to interface high-impedance superconducting nanowire devices to conventional low-impedance circuits.
Conventional readout of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) sets an upper bound on the output voltage to be the product of the bias current and the load impedance, IB×Zload, where Zload is limited to 50Ω in standard RF electronics. This limit is broken/exceeded by interfacing the 50Ω load and the SNSPD using an integrated superconducting transmission line taper. The taper is a transformer that effectively loads the SNSPD with high impedance without latching. The taper increases the amplitude of the detector output while preserving the fast rising edge. Using a taper with a starting width of 500 nm, a 3.6× higher pulse amplitude, 3.7× faster slew rate, and 25.1 ps smaller timing jitter was observed. The taper also makes the detector's output voltage sensitive to the number of photon-induced hotspots and enables photon number resolution.
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Efficiently distinguishing photon numbers is a crucial yet challenging technology for various quantum information and quantum metrology applications. While superconducting transition edge sensors offer good photon-number-resolving (PNR) capabilities, they are hampered by low detection speed, timing jitter, and complex cooling and readout requirements. In this work, we present a significant advancement toward achieving high-fidelity PNR single-photon detectors by combing high efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detector and spatial multiplexing technology. The unique twin-layer configuration of superconducting nanowire atop a dielectric mirror ensures the near-unity detection efficiency. The segmented design, where each section is shunted by a resistor, enables spatial multiplexing, establishing a mapping relationship between pulse amplitude and registered photons. The fabricated detector exhibits impressive performance metrics, including a single-photon system detection efficiency (SDE) of ∼98% at a dark count rate of 20 cps and photon-number resolution capability up to 32. Further characterization through detector tomography reveals high fidelities for two-, three-, and four-photon events, approximately 87%, 73%, and 40% respectively. Moreover, the detector operates at a high count rate of 41 MHz at 3 dB-SDE, with a low timing jitter of as low as 40 ps. With its near-unity efficiency, high photon-number resolution, low dark count rate, fast detection speed, and superior timing resolution, we expect significant interest in these detectors, promising substantial benefits for weak light detection and optical quantum information applications.
Photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors are a key enabling technology in photonic quantum information processing. Here, we demonstrate the PNR capacity of conventional superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors by performing ultra-high-resolution time-tagging of the detector-generated electrical pulses. This method provides a viable approach for PNR with high detection efficiency and a high operational repetition rate. We present the implementation of such a PNR detector in the telecom C-band and its characterization by measuring the photon-number statistics of coherent light with tunable intensity. Additionally, we demonstrate the capabilities of the detection method by measuring photon-number correlations of non-classical states.