Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of Physics Conference Series

Large active area superconducting single photon detector

Maria Moshkova, Pavel Morozov, Alexander V. Divochiy, Yu. B. Vakhtomin, Смирнов Константин Владимирович

Published Dec 1, 2019• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract We present development of large active area superconducting single-photon detectors well coupled with standard 50 μm-core multi-mode fiber. The sensitive area of the SSPD is patterned using the photon-number-resolving design and occupies an area of 40×40 μm2. Using this approach, we have obtained excellent specifications: system detection efficiency of 47% measured using a 900 nm laser and low dark count rate of 100 cps. The main advantages of the approach presented are a very short dead time of the detector of 22 ns and FWHM jitter value of about 130 ps.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/1410/1/012139

Related papers

Superconducting NbN microstrip single-photon detectors

Alexander A. Korneev

Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors (SSPD) invented two decades ago have evolved to a mature technology and have become devices of choice in the advanced applications of quantum optics, such as quantum cryptography and optical quantum computing. In these applications SSPDs are coupled to single-mode fibers and feature almost unity detection efficiency, negligible dark counts, picosecond timing jitter and MHz photon count rate. Meanwhile, there are great many applications requiring coupling to multi-mode fibers or free space. `Classical’ SSPDs with 100-nm-wide superconducting strip and covering area of about 100 µm2 are not suitable for further scaling due to degradation of performance and low fabrication yield. Recently we have demonstrated single-photon counting in micron-wide superconducting bridges and strips. Here we present our approach to the realization of practical photon-counting detectors of large enough area to be efficiently coupled to multi-mode fibers or free space. The detector is either a meander or a spiral of 1-µm-wide strip covering an area of 50x50 µm2. Being operated at 1.7K temperature it demonstrates the saturated detection efficiency (i.e. limited by the absorption in the detector) up to 1550 nm wavelength, about 10 ns dead time and timing jitter in range 50-100 ps.

Quantum Optics and Photon Counting•Apr 19, 2021•0 citations

Superconducting photon counter for nanophotonics applications

N. N. Manova, E. O. Smirnov, Korneeva Yu P +2 more

We develop large area superconducting single-photon detector SSPD with a micron-wide strip suitable for free-space coupling or packaging with multi-mode optical fibres. The detector sensitive area is 20 μm in diameter. In near infrared (1330 nm wavelength) our SSPD exhibits above 30% detection efficiency with low dark counts and 45 ps timing jitter.

Journal of Physics Conference Series•Dec 1, 2019•3 citations

Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detector with reduced-size active area coupled to a tapered lensed single-mode fiber

Maria V. Sidorova, Alexander V. Divochiy, Yu. B. Vachtomin +1 more

We present an ultrafast NbN Superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) with active area of 3x3 μm2, which reveals better timing performances than a previously developed SSPD with active area of 10x10 μm2. The improved SSPD demonstrates the record timing jitter <25 ps, ultra short recovery time <2 ns, extremely low dark counts level, and high detection efficiency (DE) in a wide spectral range from visible to near-infrared. The record parameters were obtained thanks to the development of a new technique of an effective optical coupling between a detector with reduced-size active area and a standard single-mode telecommunication fiber. The advantages of a new approach are experimentally confirmed by performed electro-optical measurements of the device performances.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 6, 2015•0 citations

Ultrafast superconducting single-photon detector with a reduced active area coupled to a tapered lensed single-mode fiber

Maria V. Sidorova, Alexander V. Divochiy, Yury B. Vakhtomin +1 more

This paper presents an ultrafast niobium nitride (NbN) superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) with an active area of 3×3 μm2 that offers better timing performance metrics than the previous SSPD with an active area of 7×7 μm2. The improved SSPD demonstrates a record timing jitter (<25 ps), an ultrashort recovery time (<2 ns), an extremely low dark count rate, and a high detection efficiency in a wide spectral range from visible part to near infrared. The record parameters were obtained due to the development of a new technique providing effective optical coupling between a detector with a reduced active area and a standard single-mode telecommunication fiber. The advantages of the new approach are experimentally confirmed by taking electro-optical measurements.

Journal of Nanophotonics•Sep 16, 2015•12 citations

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors at a wavelength of 940 nm

W. J. Zhang, Hao Li, Lixing You +9 more

We develop single-photon detectors comprising single-mode fiber-coupled superconducting nanowires, with high system detection efficiencies at a wavelength of 940 nm. The detector comprises a 6.5-nm-thick, 110-nm-wide NbN nanowire meander fabricated onto a Si substrate with a distributed Bragg reflector for enhancing the optical absorptance. We demonstrate that, via the design of a low filling factor (1/3) and active area (Φ = 10 μm), the system reaches a detection efficiency of ∼60% with a dark count rate of 10 Hz, a recovery time <12 ns, and a timing jitter of ∼50 ps.

arXiv:1506.07921•AIP Advances•Jun 1, 2015•7 citations

High efficiency, large-active-area superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

顾敏, 张蜡宝, 康琳 +7 more

Niobium nitride superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors were fabricated on thermally oxidized silicon substrates with large active areas of 30 μm× 30 μm.To achieve non-constricted detectors,we improved the film growth and electron beam lithography process to fabricate uniform 100-nm wide Nb N nanowires with a fill factor of 50%.The devices showed 72.4% system detection efficiency(SDE) at 100-Hz dark count rate(DCR) and 74-ps timing jitter,measured at the fiber communication wavelength of 1550 nm.The highest SDE which is 81.2% when the DCR is ~ 700 c/s appears at the wavelength of 1650 nm.

中国物理B:英文版•Jan 1, 2015•0 citations
Abstract We present development of large active area superconducting single-photon detectors well coupled with standard 50 μm-core multi-mode fiber. The sensitive area of the SSPD is patterned using the photon-number-resolving design and occupies an area of 40×40 μm2. Using this approach, we have obtained excellent specifications: system detection efficiency of 47% measured using a 900 nm laser and low dark count rate of 100 cps. The main advantages of the approach presented are a very short dead time of the detector of 22 ns and FWHM jitter value of about 130 ps.
Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors (SSPD) invented two decades ago have evolved to a mature technology and have become devices of choice in the advanced applications of quantum optics, such as quantum cryptography and optical quantum computing. In these applications SSPDs are coupled to single-mode fibers and feature almost unity detection efficiency, negligible dark counts, picosecond timing jitter and MHz photon count rate. Meanwhile, there are great many applications requiring coupling to multi-mode fibers or free space. `Classical’ SSPDs with 100-nm-wide superconducting strip and covering area of about 100 µm2 are not suitable for further scaling due to degradation of performance and low fabrication yield. Recently we have demonstrated single-photon counting in micron-wide superconducting bridges and strips. Here we present our approach to the realization of practical photon-counting detectors of large enough area to be efficiently coupled to multi-mode fibers or free space. The detector is either a meander or a spiral of 1-µm-wide strip covering an area of 50x50 µm2. Being operated at 1.7K temperature it demonstrates the saturated detection efficiency (i.e. limited by the absorption in the detector) up to 1550 nm wavelength, about 10 ns dead time and timing jitter in range 50-100 ps.
We present an ultrafast NbN Superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) with active area of 3x3 μm2, which reveals better timing performances than a previously developed SSPD with active area of 10x10 μm2. The improved SSPD demonstrates the record timing jitter <25 ps, ultra short recovery time <2 ns, extremely low dark counts level, and high detection efficiency (DE) in a wide spectral range from visible to near-infrared. The record parameters were obtained thanks to the development of a new technique of an effective optical coupling between a detector with reduced-size active area and a standard single-mode telecommunication fiber. The advantages of a new approach are experimentally confirmed by performed electro-optical measurements of the device performances.
This paper presents an ultrafast niobium nitride (NbN) superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) with an active area of 3×3 μm2 that offers better timing performance metrics than the previous SSPD with an active area of 7×7 μm2. The improved SSPD demonstrates a record timing jitter (<25 ps), an ultrashort recovery time (<2 ns), an extremely low dark count rate, and a high detection efficiency in a wide spectral range from visible part to near infrared. The record parameters were obtained due to the development of a new technique providing effective optical coupling between a detector with a reduced active area and a standard single-mode telecommunication fiber. The advantages of the new approach are experimentally confirmed by taking electro-optical measurements.
We develop single-photon detectors comprising single-mode fiber-coupled superconducting nanowires, with high system detection efficiencies at a wavelength of 940 nm. The detector comprises a 6.5-nm-thick, 110-nm-wide NbN nanowire meander fabricated onto a Si substrate with a distributed Bragg reflector for enhancing the optical absorptance. We demonstrate that, via the design of a low filling factor (1/3) and active area (Φ = 10 μm), the system reaches a detection efficiency of ∼60% with a dark count rate of 10 Hz, a recovery time <12 ns, and a timing jitter of ∼50 ps.
Niobium nitride superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors were fabricated on thermally oxidized silicon substrates with large active areas of 30 μm× 30 μm.To achieve non-constricted detectors,we improved the film growth and electron beam lithography process to fabricate uniform 100-nm wide Nb N nanowires with a fill factor of 50%.The devices showed 72.4% system detection efficiency(SDE) at 100-Hz dark count rate(DCR) and 74-ps timing jitter,measured at the fiber communication wavelength of 1550 nm.The highest SDE which is 81.2% when the DCR is ~ 700 c/s appears at the wavelength of 1650 nm.