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International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks

Waveguide integrated superconducting single-photon detectors

Simone Ferrari, Andreas Vetter, Patrik Rath, Wolfram H. P. Pernice

Published Jul 1, 2016• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Near-field coupling to nanophotonic waveguides enables absorption engineering of superconducting nanowires for efficient single photon detection on chip. The direct compatibility with photonic circuitry allows for using such devices in the framework of integrated optics and thus for exploiting the rich toolbox of nanophotonics for device characterization and optimization. We integrate superconducting single photon detectors with photonic circuitry made from different transparent materials. Both single and multi-photon capability can be achieved through variation of the nanowire width, as well as ultra-fast single photon counting with high detection rates by reducing the nanowire length.

DOI
10.1109/icton.2016.7550616

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Near-field coupling to nanophotonic waveguides enables absorption engineering of superconducting nanowires for efficient single photon detection on chip. The direct compatibility with photonic circuitry allows for using such devices in the framework of integrated optics and thus for exploiting the rich toolbox of nanophotonics for device characterization and optimization. We integrate superconducting single photon detectors with photonic circuitry made from different transparent materials. Both single and multi-photon capability can be achieved through variation of the nanowire width, as well as ultra-fast single photon counting with high detection rates by reducing the nanowire length.
Single photon technology is enabling for quantum communication and processing. Combining single photon sources, routing circuitry and highly efficient detectors in a high yield, low-loss and scalable fashion represent today a major challenge. Nanophotonic devices allow for the realization of on-chip small footprint architectures for generating, manipulating and detecting single photons. Waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single photon detectors are today state-of-the art devices capable of detecting single photons propagating in an integrated photonic circuit with high efficiency, speed and low timing uncertainty. Their excellent metrics in the near-infrared allows to directly interface on-chip devices with existing C-Band communication technology systems. To move towards high communication speed, efficient detectors able to sustain Gcps count rate are desirable. Here we present the design process and the experimental characterization of a new generation of fast detectors, consisting of µm-long NbN superconducting nanowires embedded in a SOI two-dimensional photonic crystal cavity. Almost 70% efficiency at telecommunication wavelengths has been achieved with negligible dark counts and sub-ns recovery time, which could enable Gcps count rates.
Ultrafast, high-efficiency single-photon detectors are among the most sought-after elements in modern quantum optics and quantum communication. However, imperfect modal matching and finite photon absorption rates have usually limited their maximum attainable detection efficiency. Here we demonstrate superconducting nanowire detectors atop nanophotonic waveguides, which enable a drastic increase of the absorption length for incoming photons. This allows us to achieve high on-chip single-photon detection efficiency up to 91% at telecom wavelengths, repeatable across several fabricated chips. We also observe remarkably low dark count rates without significant compromise of the on-chip detection efficiency. The detectors are fully embedded in scalable silicon photonic circuits and provide ultrashort timing jitter of 18 ps. Exploiting this high temporal resolution, we demonstrate ballistic photon transport in silicon ring resonators. Our direct implementation of a high-performance single-photon detector on chip overcomes a major barrier in integrated quantum photonics. High-efficiency and high-speed single-photon detectors are vital for quantum optical technologies. Using superconducting nanowire detectors on nanophotonic waveguides, Pernice et al.demonstrate on-chip single-photon detection efficiencies up to 91% at telecommunications wavelengths.
Ultrafast single-photon detectors with high efficiency are of utmost importance for many applications in the context of integrated quantum photonic circuits. Detectors based on superconductor nanowires attached to optical waveguides are particularly appealing for this purpose. However, their speed is limited because the required high absorption efficiency necessitates long nanowires deposited on top of the waveguide. This enhances the kinetic inductance and makes the detectors slow. Here, we solve this problem by aligning the nanowire, contrary to usual choice, perpendicular to the waveguide to realize devices with a length below 1 μm. By integrating the nanowire into a photonic crystal cavity, we recover high absorption efficiency, thus enhancing the detection efficiency by more than an order of magnitude. Our cavity enhanced superconducting nanowire detectors are fully embedded in silicon nanophotonic circuits and efficiently detect single photons at telecom wavelengths. The detectors possess subnanosecond decay (∼120 ps) and recovery times (∼510 ps) and thus show potential for GHz count rates at low timing jitter (∼32 ps). The small absorption volume allows efficient threshold multiphoton detection.
Photonic quantum technologies hold promise to repeat the success of integrated nanophotonic circuits in non-classical applications. Using linear optical elements, quantum optical computations can be performed with integrated optical circuits and can therefore overcome the existing limitations in terms of scalability. In addition to passive optical devices for realizing photonic quantum gates, active elements, such as single-photon sources and single-photon detectors, are essential ingredients for future optical quantum circuits. Material systems that allow for the monolithic integration of all components are particularly attractive, including III-V semiconductors, silicon and diamond. Here, we demonstrate nanophotonic integrated circuits made from high-quality polycrystalline diamond thin films in combination with on-chip single-photon detectors. By using superconducting nanowires that are coupled evanescently to traveling waves, we achieve high detection efficiencies of up to 66% as well as low dark count rates and a timing resolution of 190 ps. Our devices are fully scalable and hold promise for functional diamond photonic quantum devices. The development of on-chip quantum circuitry progresses with the integration of single-photon detectors with diamond nanophotonic waveguides. Researchers based in Germany at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Solid State Physics have fabricated superconducting niobium nitride nanowire detectors directly on top of diamond rib waveguides. This traveling wave design means that photons propagating in the diamond waveguides are coupled evanescently to the superconducting nanowires, allowing efficent on-chip detection of single photons. The small footprints of the detectors allow hundreds of detector circuits to be realized on a single chip. Furthermore, their fast response (they have a decay time of just 5.1 nanoseconds) allows operation at count rates of up to 200 megahertz and with a timing resolution of 190 picoseconds.
Nanophotonic integrated circuits are emerging as a promising platform for quantum photonics. A key building block are waveguide integrated detectors with superior performance. Detectors based on superconductor nanowires (SNSPDs) attached to optical waveguides have been shown to provide high efficiency and good timing performance, as well as broad bandwidth. To move towards applications in high bandwidth quantum communication and processing, ultrafast single-photon detectors with high efficiency are needed. The speed of meander type SNSPDs is limited because the required high absorption efficiency necessitates long nanowires deposited on top of the waveguide. This enhances the kinetic inductance and makes the detectors slow. We overcome this problem by aligning the nanowire perpendicular to the waveguide to realize devices with a length below 1 µm. By integrating the nanowire into a photonic crystal cavity, we recover high absorption efficiency, thus enhancing the detection efficiency by more than an order of magnitude. Our cavity enhanced superconducting nanowire detectors are fully embedded in silicon nanophotonic circuits and efficiently detect single photons at telecom wavelengths. The detectors possess sub-nanosecond decay (~ 120 ps) and recovery times (~ 510 ps), and thus show potential for GHz count rates at low timing jitter (~ 32 ps).