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Direct measurement of the recovery time of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Claire Autebert, Gaëtan Gras, Emna Amri, Matthieu Perrenoud, Misael Caloz, Hugo Zbinden, Félix Bussières

Published Jan 1, 2020• 21 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

One of the key properties of single-photon detectors is their recovery time, i.e. the time required for the detector to recover its nominal efficiency. In the case of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), which can feature extremely short recovery times in free-running mode, a precise characterization of this recovery time and its time dynamics is essential for many quantum optics or quantum communication experiments. We introduce a fast and simple method to characterize precisely the recovery time of SNSPDs. It provides full information about the recovery of the efficiency in time for a single or several consecutive detections. We also show how the method can be used to gain insight into the behavior of the bias current inside the nanowire after a detection, which allows predicting the behavior of the detector and its efficiency in any practical experiment using these detectors.

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One of the key properties of single-photon detectors is their recovery time, i.e. the time required for the detector to recover its nominal efficiency. In the case of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), which can feature extremely short recovery times in free-running mode, a precise characterization of this recovery time and its time dynamics is essential for many quantum optics or quantum communication experiments. We introduce a fast and simple method to characterize precisely the recovery time of SNSPDs. It provides full information about the recovery of the efficiency in time for a single or several consecutive detections. We also show how the method can be used to gain insight into the behavior of the bias current inside the nanowire after a detection, which allows predicting the behavior of the detector and its efficiency in any practical experiment using these detectors.
One of the key properties of single-photon detectors is their recovery time, i.e., the time required for the detector to recover its nominal efficiency. In the case of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), which can feature extremely short recovery times in free-running mode, a precise characterization of this recovery time and its time dynamics is essential for many quantum optics or quantum communication experiments. We introduce a fast and simple method to characterize precisely the recovery time of SNSPDs. It provides full information about the recovery of the efficiency in time for a single or several consecutive detections. We also show how the method can be used to gain insight into the behavior of the bias current inside the nanowire after a detection, which allows predicting the behavior of the detector and its efficiency in any practical experiment using these detectors.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are an attractive technology for applications which benefit from high-count rate photon detection such as quantum communication protocols, photon-starved classical communications, metrology of single-emitters, and photonic quantum computing. However, at high-count rates, a significant portion of photons may be incident during recovery intervals following prior detection events. After detection, the device efficiency recovers over nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds before reaching a steadystate value. Therefore, for a given SNSPD bias current setpoint, a single efficiency and recovery time specification may not be sufficient to characterize the performance of a device at high count rates. Here we present and experimentally validate a model of the recovery time as a function of bias current for any given system efficiency. These results may be used to improve analysis of measurements performed using SNSPDs operating in the high count rate regime.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), owing to their unique performance, are currently the standard detector in most demanding single-photon experiments. One important metric for any single-photon detector is the recovery time, which defines the minimum temporal separation between consecutive detection events. In SNSPDs, the recovery time is more subtle, as the detection efficiency does not abruptly drop to zero when the temporal separation between detection events gets smaller, instead, it increases gradually as the SNSPD current recovers. SNSPD's recovery time is dominated by its kinetic inductance, the readout impedance, and the degree of saturation of internal efficiency. Decreasing the kinetic inductance or increasing the readout impedance can accelerate the recovery process. Significant reduction of the SNSPD recovery time, by, for example, adding a series resistor in the readout circuitry, is possible but can lead to detector latching, which hinders further detector operation or enforces underbiasing and hence a reduction in detection efficiency. Previous research has demonstrated passive resistive networks for the reduction of recovery time that rely on trial and error to find the appropriate resistance values. Here, we show that, using a cryogenically compatible and tunable resistor technology, one can find the optimized impedance values, delivering fast SNSPD recovery time while maintaining maximum internal detection efficiency. Here, we show an increase of around twofold in both maximum achievable detection rates and the achievable detection efficiency at high photon fluxes, demonstrating detection rates close to 114 Mcps with no loss of internal detection efficiency.
Counting rate is a key parameter of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPD) and is determined by the current recovery time of an SNSPD after a detection event. We propose a new method to study the transient detection efficiency (DE) and pulse amplitude during the current recovery process by statistically analyzing the single photon response of an SNSPD under photon illumination with a high repetition rate. The transient DE results match well with the DEs deduced from the static current dependence of DE combined with the waveform of a single-photon detection event. This proves that the static measurement results can be used to analyze the transient current recovery process after a detection event. The results are relevant for understanding the current recovery process of SNSPDs after a detection event and for determining the counting rate of SNSPDs.
Over the past two decades, the fast development of superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) has made them the detector of choice for modern stringent quantum optics experiments. SNSPD offers remarkably high efficiencies, approching unity efficiency, a few pico-second time resolution, and gigahertz counting rates. The recovery timeτ\tauτof the SNSPD is one of the key parameters influencing its efficiency at high photon fluxes. Here we report on preliminary results of controlling the response speed of the SNSPD by introducing a tunable resistorRSR_{S}RS​in the electric circuit.