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IEEE Workshop on Low Temperature Electronics (WOLTE)

Real-time multi-pixel readout of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

M. Hofherr, K. Ilin, Julia Toussaint, Thomas Ortlepp, Olaf Wetzstein, Sonja Engert, Hans‐Georg Meyer, Hannes Töpfer, M. Siegel

Published Jul 1, 2014• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Nowadays detection systems based on superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) are mainly with a single-pixel detector. Multi-pixel systems would extend the field of possible applications. Therefore, new concepts are required for effective readout of multi-pixel SNSPDs. We give an overview of possible concepts, conditions of operation and dedicated effort to optimize the requirements of different applications in the single-photon regime.

DOI
10.1109/wolte.2014.6881019

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Nowadays detection systems based on superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) are mainly with a single-pixel detector. Multi-pixel systems would extend the field of possible applications. Therefore, new concepts are required for effective readout of multi-pixel SNSPDs. We give an overview of possible concepts, conditions of operation and dedicated effort to optimize the requirements of different applications in the single-photon regime.
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Superconducting nanowires have emerged as a powerful tool for detecting single photons in the visible and near-infrared range with excellent device performance metrics. We outline challenges and future directions related to the up-scaling of nanowire devices and detector systems toward widespread applications in demanding real-world settings. Progress on achieving superconducting single-photon detectors with a large active area and an increasing number of pixels is reviewed, comparing the recent literature in terms of the reported key detector parameters. Furthermore, we summarize currently available readout and multiplexing schemes for multi-pixel detector arrays and discuss implications of the recently discovered microwire-based detector geometries.
Since their inception, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors have been enabling quantum optical applications and the rise of the photonic quantum industry. The evolution in the detector design and read-out strategies has led to the introduction of devices with a plurality of independent pixels, which have been able to operate with high system detection efficiency at high speed while also supporting photon number resolution capabilities. However, this comes at the cost of a complex readout that requires one coaxial cable for each pixel of the array. Here, we report a 28-pixel SNSPD with a dedicated parallel architecture that, while maintaining a simple readout with a single coaxial line, enables the detector to operate at high speed with low-performance degradation. The device shows a maximum single-photon efficiency of 88% and is able to maintain its efficiency above 50%, coupled with a timing jitter lower than 80 ps, up to a detection rate of 200 million counts per second. The detector also provides state-of-the-art photon-number-resolving performances with a 2-photon efficiency of 75% and a 3-photon efficiency of 62%.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have abstracted widespread attention in the fields of quantum information and quantum photonics due to their high detection efficiency and low dark count rates (DCR). However, single-pixel SNSPDs exist the notable limitations in detection speed and photon number resolution (PNR) capabilities, which pose challenges for practical applications. In this study, we propose a design of a series four-pixel SNSPD that incorporates a SPICE circuit simulation model to achieve PNR and spatial resolution of the four photons in an ideal state, and then determine the optical cavity structure of the detector at the highest light absorption of up to 97% through optical simulation. This design provides a theoretical foundation for the subsequent fabrication of large-area SNSPD with PNR and spatial resolution, significantly improving the flexibility and adaptability of SNSPDs to meet diverse detection requirements. Furthermore, our work also lays a research foundation for multi-photon detection in quantum communication and quantum computing.