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Quantum Optics and Photon Counting

Timing properties of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Xiaolong Hu, Kai Zou, Nan Hu, Yun Meng, Liang Xu, Xiaojian Lan, Xiaoming Chi, Chao Gu, Yuhao Cheng, Hao Wu, Haiyi Liu, Julien Zichi, Val Zwiller

Published Apr 30, 2019• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, we review theoretical and experimental research progress on timing properties of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, including six possible mechanisms that induce timing jitter and experiments towards ultra-low timing jitter.
DOI
10.1117/12.2520271

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In recent years, Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) have obtained tremendous attention as a possible key technology for photonic quantum processing and faint light detection. Here, we present our recent progress on engineering of the properties of NbTiN SNSPDs fabricated on various substrates measured. We discuss approaches to simultaneously improve the most important figures of merit (DCR, dead time, timing jitter, efficiency) as well as efficient characterization methods. Specifically, for the latter we investigate the impact of the substrate material on the performance parameters as well as the fundamental interrelation of the resulting voltage pulse properties, such as pulse height, rise time and timing jitter, and their dependence on the applied bias current.
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