High-performancd Superconducting detectors using superconducting signal processing

Richard W. Ralston

Hirotaka Terai, Taro YAMASHITA, Shigehito Miki +2 more

The superconducting single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit is the ultimate energy-efficient digital circuit technology. The SFQ circuits are very promising for applications not only to huge systems such as supercomputers and/or high-end routers but also to the signal processing circuit operating with superconducting detectors. We introduce the recent progress in the SFQ circuit technology focusing on the application combined with superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs). The four-pixel SSPD array was successfully operated with the SFQ signal processing circuit in the 0.1 W Gifford McMahon refrigerator.

George H. Rieke

Hirotaka Terai, Shigehito Miki, Taro Yamashita +2 more

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SSPDs) with a system detection efficiency (SDE) of over 80% are now commercially available and being used in compact Gifford-McMahon refrigerators. However, not only high SDE, but also total performance including a low dark count rate, high maximum count rate and/or low timing jitter are important for many applications. A multi-pixel SSPD combined with signal processing using a single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit is a very promising approach to improve the system performance of SSPDs. In this review, we introduce our recent activities on cryogenic signal processing using SFQ circuits to realize high-performance multi-pixel SSPDs.

Can Hui Yang, Mengting Si, Lixing You

Shigeyuki Miyajima, Hirotaka Terai, Masahiro Yabuno +2 more

A single-flux-quantum circuit is a promising device for a cryogenic signal processor for a superconducting nanostrip single photon detector （SNSPD） due to its high-speed operation, low power dissipation, and low timing jitter. The cryogenic signal processor based on the SFQ circuits can sense the output signals of multi-pixel SNSPDs with low timing jitter in a low temperature stage, which provides an advanced SNSPD system such as a high-count rate system, a two-photon coincidence system, a single-photon imaging system, and so forth. We have developed and demonstrated some SNSPD systems using an SFQ signal processor in a 0.1-W Gifford-McMahon （GM） cryocooler. In this review, we introduce a cryogenic signal processor based on SFQ circuits for advanced SNSPD systems.