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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Demonstration of gigabit-per-second and higher data rates at extremely high efficiency using superconducting nanowire single photon detectors

Bryan S. Robinson, Andrew J. Kerman, Eric A. Dauler, Don M. Boroson, Scott A. Hamilton, Joel K. W. Yang, Vikas Anant, Karl K. Berggren

Published Sep 12, 2007• 14 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors have recently been demonstrated as viable candidates for photon-counting optical receivers operating at data rates in excess of 100 Mbit/s. In this paper, we discuss techniques for extending these data rates to rates > 1 Gbit/s. We report on a recent demonstration of a 2-element nanowire detector array operating at a source data rate of 1.25 Gbit/s. We also describe techniques for emulating larger arrays of detectors using a single detector. We use these techniques to demonstrate photon-counting receiver operation at data rates from 780-Mbit/s to 2.5 Gbit/s with sensitivities ranging from 1.1 to 7.1 incident photons per bit.

DOI
10.1117/12.738498

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The sensitivity of a high-rate photon-counting optical communications link depends on the performance of the photon counter used to detect the optical signal. In this paper, we focus on ways to reduce the effect of blocking, which is loss due to time periods in which the photon counter is inactive following a preceding detection event. This blocking loss can be reduced by using an array of photon counting detectors or by using photon counters with a shorter inactive period. Both of these techniques for reducing the blocking loss can be employed by using a multi-element superconducting nanowire single-photon detector. Two-element superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors are used to demonstrate error-free photon counting optical communication at data rates of 781 Mbit/s and 1.25 Gbit/s.
We describe a number of methods that have been pursued to develop superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) with attractive overall performance, including three systems that operate with >70% system detection efficiency and high maximum counting rates at wavelengths near 1550 nm. The advantages and tradeoffs of various approaches to efficient optical coupling, electrical readout, and SNSPD design are described and contrasted. Optical interfaces to the detectors have been based on fiber coupling, either directly to the detector or through the substrate, using both single-mode and multimode fibers with different approaches to alignment. Recent advances in electrical interfaces have focused on the challenges of scalability and ensuring stable detector operation at high count rates. Prospects for further advances in these and other methods are also described, which may enable larger arrays and higher-performance SNSPD systems in the future. Finally, the use of some of these techniques to develop fully packaged SNSPD systems will be described and the performance available from these recently developed systems will be reviewed.
Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) have separately demonstrated high efficiency, low noise, and extremely high speed when detecting single photons. However, achieving all of these simultaneously has been limited by detector subtleties and tradeoffs. Here, we report an SNSPD system with <80 ps timing resolution, kHz noise count rates, and 76% fiber-coupled system detection efficiency in the low-flux limit at 1550 nm. We present a model for determining the detection efficiency penalty due to the detection recovery time, and we validate our method using experimental data obtained at high count rates. We demonstrate improved performance tradeoffs, such as 68% system detection efficiency, including losses due to detector recovery time, when coupled to a Poisson source emitting 100 million photons per second. Our system can provide limited photon number resolution, continuous cryogen-free operation, and scalability to future imaging and GHz-count-rate applications.
Space-to-ground photon-counting optical communication links supporting high data rates over large distances require enhanced ground receiver sensitivity in order to reduce the mass and power burden on the spacecraft transmitter. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have been demonstrated to offer superior performance in detection efficiency, timing resolution, and count rates over semiconductor photodetectors, and are a suitable technology for high photon efficiency links. Recently photon detectors based on superconducting nanowires have become commercially available, and we have assessed the characteristics and performance of one such commercial system as a candidate for potential utilization in ground receiver designs. The SNSPD system features independent channels which can be added modularly. We analyze the scalability of the system to support different data rates, as well as consider coupling concepts and issues as the number of channels increases.