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Journal of Modern Optics

Infrared wavelength-dependent optical characterization of NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors

Martin J. Stevens, Robert H. Hadfield, Thomas Gerrits, Tracy Sharp Clement, Richard P. Mirin, Sae Woo Nam

Published Jan 20, 2009• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report optical characterization of NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors as a function of wavelength in the near infrared. System detection efficiency decreases from ∼6% at 1.15 µm to ∼2% at 1.72 µm, while timing jitter remains relatively constant at ∼60 ps full-width-half-maximum over the range 0.7–2.0 µm. We further demonstrate the capabilities of this detector with a time-correlated single-photon counting measurement of photoluminescence from a semiconductor sample emitting at 1.65 µm.

DOI
10.1080/09500340802322426

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We report optical characterization of NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors as a function of wavelength in the near infrared. System detection efficiency decreases from ∼6% at 1.15 µm to ∼2% at 1.72 µm, while timing jitter remains relatively constant at ∼60 ps full-width-half-maximum over the range 0.7–2.0 µm. We further demonstrate the capabilities of this detector with a time-correlated single-photon counting measurement of photoluminescence from a semiconductor sample emitting at 1.65 µm.
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Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) play a pivotal role in infrared single-photon-detection applications owing to their free-running mode, near-unity detection efficiency, and excellent time resolution. However, conventional niobium nitride- (NbN) SNSPDs often have a trade-off between optimal detection efficiency and time resolution. We herein demonstrate NbN SNSPDs in the combination of high efficiency and time resolution by using the helium-ion-irradiated film of 10 nm and a homemade cryogenic amplifier to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed 18-μm-diameter device operated at 850 mK shows a saturated system detection efficiency of ∼90.5% at 1550 nm wavelength with a dark count rate below 50 counts per second (cps), and minimum system timing jitter of ∼14.7 ps. Meanwhile, the recovery time is 21.2 ns owing to its lower kinetic inductance. The time-of-flight light detection and ranging with this device was further carried out indoors, which demonstrates a submillimeter (<0.5 mm) depth resolution, as well as good depth and intensity reconstruction of a low-signature object even under the dwell time of 0.5 ms. It indicates that our device has a great advantage and potential in high-time-resolution and weak-signal-detection applications, such as real-time imaging, fluorescence lifetime detection, and remote laser sensing.
Nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) consist of a superconducting wire of nanoscale cross-section [1], typically 4×100 nm2. A current close to the device critical current renders the nanowire sensitive to single photons. SSPDs are known for their high efficiency, low jitter, low dark count rate and fast reset time. An important challenge for future application of SSPDs is to extend the useful wavelength range towards the infrared without comprising detector speed or dark count rate. To this end, we explore optical designs with wider nanowires that utilize efficient detection of single photons at the edge of the nanowire. Silicon nanowires on top of a NbN nanowire increase both the calculated total absorption and the internal detection efficiency significantly compared to a standard meandering wire geometry.