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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)

Superconducting Single-Photon Detector for Lithium Niobate Integrated Quantum Photonic at Telecom Wavelengths

Peter M. Agruzov, Andrey M. Ionov, Sergey V. Chekmazov, Sergey I. Bozhko, Igor V. Il'ichev, Aleksandr V. Tronev, Mikhail V. Parfenov, Aleksandr V. Shamrai

Published Jun 1, 2019• 4 citations

Abstract

The current challenge of quantum photonic is to realize integrated circuits that monolithically combines light sources, optical modulators, storage units, and light detectors. Lithium niobate (LN) waveguides has emerged as one of the key platforms of photonics quantum technologies [1]. Due to mature technology of waveguide fabrication, efficient properties for light control and compatibility with the existing telecommunication infrastructure, LN is at the heart of many quantum components (light sources, modulators, coherent wavelength converters and quantum memories). Superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) is relatively simple architecture for the realisation in a waveguide configuration and has been demonstrated on several technological platforms [2]. It is based on the principle of photoninduced hot-spot formation in ultranarrow superconducting NbN wires and can provide high sensitivity at telecommunication wavelengths near 1550 nm, high counting rates, broad spectral response, and high temporal resolution due to low jitter values. The LN SSPD has been also considered [3], however only theoretical estimations have been made for waveguide configuration.

DOI: 10.1109/cleoe-eqec.2019.8871852

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We demonstrate waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on thin-film lithium niobate (LN). Using a 250 um-long NbN superconducting nanowire lithographically defined on top of a 125 um-long LN nanowaveguide, on-chip detection efficiency of 46% is realized with simultaneous high performance in dark count rate and timing jitter. As LN possesses high second-order nonlinear \c{hi}(2) and electro-optic properties, an efficient single-photon detector on thin-film LN opens up the possibility to construct small scale fully-integrated quantum photonic chip which includes single-photon sources, filters, tunable quantum gates and detectors.

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a key enabling technology for optical quantum information science. In this paper we demonstrate a SNSPD fabricated on lithium niobate, an important material for high speed integrated photonic circuits. We report a system detection efficiency of 0.15% at a 1 kHz dark count rate with a maximum of ~1% close to the critical current at 1550 nm wavelength for a parallel wire SNSPD with front side illumination. There is clear scope for improving on this performance with further materials optimization. Detector integration with a lithium niobate optical waveguide is simulated, demonstrating the potential for high single photon detection efficiency in an integrated quantum optic circuit.

Here, we demonstrate waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN). Using a 250 μm-long NbN superconducting nanowire lithographically defined on top of a 125 μm-long LN nanowaveguide, an on-chip detection efficiency of 46% is realized with simultaneous high performance in dark count rates and timing jitter. As LN possesses high χ(2) second-order nonlinear and electro-optic properties, an efficient single-photon detector on thin-film LN opens up the possibility to construct a small-scale fully integrated quantum photonic chip, which includes single-photon sources, filters, tunable quantum gates, and detectors.

We demonstrate waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN). Using a 250 μm-long NbN superconducting nanowire lithographically defined on top of a 125 μm-long LN nanowaveguide, an on-chip detection efficiency of 46% is realized with simultaneous high performance in dark count rates and timing jitter. As LN possesses high χ(2) second-order nonlinear and electro-optic properties, an efficient single-photon detector on thin-film LN opens up the possibility to construct a small-scale fully integrated quantum photonic chip, which includes single-photon sources, filters, tunable quantum gates, and detectors.

Lithium Niobate On Insulator (LNOI) has recently emerged as a promising platform for the realization of electro-optically reconfigurable waveguides combining small footprint and ultra-low propagation loss. Integration of these components with superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) opens up the possibility to perform on-chip manipulation and detection of quantum states of light in a physically stable and scalable architecture. Here we report recent theoretical and experimental progress towards the realization of fast electro-optic modulators compatible with cryogenic temperatures and high-performance NbTiN superconducting nanowires single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) monolithically integrated in LNOI waveguides.

Lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) is emerging as a promising platform for integrated quantum photonic technologies because of its high second-order optical nonlinearity, compact footprint, and low propagation loss in a broad wavelength range. Importantly, LNOI allows for creating electro-optically tunable circuits that can be efficiently operated at cryogenic temperature. Their integration with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDS) paves the way for realizing scalable photonic devices for fast manipulation and detection of quantum states of light. Here we report the monolithic integration of these two key components in a low loss (0.2 dB/cm) LNOI waveguide network. As an experimental showcase of our technology, we demonstrate the combined operation of an electrically tunable Mach Zehnder interferometer–an essential building block for the realization of reconfigurable optical networks-and two waveguide-integrated SNSPDs at its outputs. We show static reconfigurability of our system with a bias-drift free operation over a time of 12 hours, as well as high-speed modulation at frequencies up to 1 GHz.