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Nanotechnology

Waveguide-integrated niobium- nitride detectors for on-chip quantum nanophotonics

F. Mattioli, Sara Cibella, Alessandro Gaggero, Francesco Martini, Roberto Leoni

Published Nov 20, 2020• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

NbN-based detectors can detect light from the granular regime (single or few photons) up to weak continuous photon fluxes at wavelengths ranging from visible light up to mid-IR. The article reports our recent results on a novel linear detector, the waveguide-integrated hot electron bolometer (HEB) capable to measure photon fluxes of large coherent beams in a regime in which superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are not efficient due to their strong nonlinearity. SNSPDs, photon number resolving detectors and amplitude multiplexing readout schemes, all integrated on photonic circuits are also discussed in the paper. The compatibility of the integrated HEB detectors with the SNSPDs technology can allow the characterization of complex non classical states of light within the same chip.

DOI
10.1088/1361-6528/abcc97

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NbN-based detectors can detect light from the granular regime (single or few photons) up to weak continuous photon fluxes at wavelengths ranging from visible light up to mid-IR. The article reports our recent results on a novel linear detector, the waveguide-integrated hot electron bolometer (HEB) capable to measure photon fluxes of large coherent beams in a regime in which superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are not efficient due to their strong nonlinearity. SNSPDs, photon number resolving detectors and amplitude multiplexing readout schemes, all integrated on photonic circuits are also discussed in the paper. The compatibility of the integrated HEB detectors with the SNSPDs technology can allow the characterization of complex non classical states of light within the same chip.
The development of performant integrated detectors, which are sensitive to quantum fluctuations of coherent light, are strongly desired to realize a scalable and determinist photonic quantum processor based on continuous variables states of light. Here, we investigate the performance of hot electron bolometers (HEBs) fabricated on top of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic circuit showing responsivities up to 8600 V/W and a record noise equivalent temperature of 1.1 dB above the quantum limit. Thanks to a detailed analysis of the noise sources of the waveguide integrated HEB, we estimate 14.8 dBV clearance between the shot noise and electrical noise with just 1.1µW of local oscillator power. The full technology compatibility with superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) opens the possibility of nonclassical state engineering and state tomography performed within the same platform, enabling a new class of optical quantum processors.
Photonic integrated circuits hold great potential for realizing quantum technology. Efficient single-photon detectors are an essential constituent of any such quantum photonic implementation. In this regard waveguide-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors are an ideal match for achieving advanced photon counting capabilities in photonic integrated circuits. However, currently considered material systems do not readily satisfy the demands of next generation nanophotonic quantum technology platforms with integrated single-photon detectors, in terms of refractive-index contrast, band gap, optical nonlinearity, thermo-optic stability and fast single-photon counting with high signal-to-noise ratio. Here we show that such comprehensive functionality can be realized by integrating niobium titanium nitride superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with tantalum pentoxide waveguides. We demonstrate state-of-the-art detector performance in this novel material system, including devices showing 75% on-chip detection efficiency at tens of dark counts per second, detector decay times below 1 ns and sub-30 ps timing accuracy for telecommunication wavelengths photons at 1550 nm. Notably, we realize saturation of the internal detection efficiency over a previously unattained bias current range for waveguide-integrated niobium titanium nitride superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Our work enables the full set of high-performance single-photon detection capabilities on the emerging tantalum pentoxide-on-insulator platform for future applications in integrated quantum photonics.
Abstract Integrated photonics is expected to play a key role in the scalability of quantum systems for applications such as quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum internet, and quantum metrology. One of the primary components of quantum integrated photonics is a single photon detector, which reads out the quantum information encoded in photons. Amongst available single-photon detection schemes, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) remain the most promising technology for effective on-chip coupling, because they can be seamlessly integrated with a wide range of waveguide materials and substrates and have shown unparalleled performance from visible to the mid-infrared regime. Here, we review different aspects of SNSPDs and schemes for their on-chip integration for different integrated photonics applications. Although mostly concentrated on quantum applications, we also cover some of the important wider photonics applications including imaging, AI and machine learning, and single-photon spectroscopy, and conclude the review with a future outlook discussing emerging research areas enabled by photonic integrated circuits based on SNSPDs.
4-Pixel NbN Hot-Electron Bolometer Integrated in a Si3_33​N4_44​ Planar Optical Waveguide with On-Chip Fiber-Alignment Trench
In this work, we design and characterize a 4-pixel superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) based on niobium nitride (NbN), integrated with individual planar silicon nitride (Si3_33​N4_44​) waveguides. The implemented architecture enables simultaneous detection of an optical signal in four independent channels. To efficiently couple optical radiation under cryogenic conditions, we employ an edge (end-fire) coupling approach using dedicated U-shaped grooves that provide accurate and stable positioning of an optical fiber with respect to the on-chip waveguide facet. The device responsivity is measured as a function of the HEB operating point. The measured voltage responsivity reaches 3800 V/W3800~\mathrm{V/W}3800 V/W at a modulation frequency of 3 GHz3~\mathrm{GHz}3 GHz. We demonstrate detection of optically modulated signals in the gigahertz range. The developed fabrication route is promising for compact integrated receiver systems and low-noise cryogenic microwave transducers, including superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs).
Superconducting nanowires used in single-photon detectors have been realized on amorphous or poly-crystalline films. Here, we report the first use of single-crystalline NbN thin films for superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). Grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at high temperature on nearly lattice-matched AlN-on-sapphire substrates, the NbN films exhibit a high degree of uniformity and homogeneity. Even with relatively thick films, the fabricated nanowire detectors show saturated internal efficiency at near-IR wavelengths, demonstrating the potential of MBE-grown NbN for realizing large arrays of on-chip SNSPDs and their integration with AlN-based χ(2) quantum photonic circuits.