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Single-flux quantum multiplexer for multi-pixel superconducting single-photon detector arrays

M. Hofherr, K. Ilin, Dagmar Rall, Olaf Wetzstein, Lionel Fritsch, Sonja Engert, Thomas Ortlepp, Alexey Semenov, Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers, H.‐G. Meyer, Hannes Töpfer, M. Siegel

Published Jan 1, 2011• 0 citations
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Advanced Quantum Technologies•Jul 1, 2026•1 citation
We demonstrate the high-speed operation of a 16-element superconducting nanostrip single-photon detector (SNSPD) array with a single flux quantum (SFQ) multiplexer. The SFQ multiplexer can reshape the output signals from 16-element SNSPD into pulses with durations shorter than 1 ns and bundle these pulses into one output line, which is advantageous for high-speed operation of the SNSPD array system. We confirmed the correct operation of the 16-element SNSPD system with a system detection efficiency of 80% at a wavelength of 1550 nm, timing jitter of 45 ps, and successful observation of photons at 1 ns time intervals as distinguishable output pulses. The reduction in detection efficiency could also be suppressed to ∼ 0.93 during the dead time of ∼ 10 n s for each SNSPD pixel when the incident photon flux was relatively low at 0.1 photon/pulse.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are typical switching devices capable of detecting single photons with almost 100% detection efficiency. However, they cannot determine the exact number of incident photons during a detection event. Multi-pixel SNSPDs employing multiple read-out channels can provide photon number resolvability (PNR), but they require increased cooling power and costly multi-channel electronic systems. In this work, a single-flux quantum (SFQ) circuit is employed, and PNR based on multi-pixel SNSPDs is successfully demonstrated. A multi-input magnetically coupled DC/SFQ converter (MMD2Q) circuit with a mutual inductance M is used to combine and record signals from a multi-pixel SNSPD device. The designed circuit is capable of discriminating the amplitude of the combined signals in accuracy of Φ 0/M with Φ 0 being a single magnetic flux quantum. By employing the MMD2Q circuit, the discrimination of up to 40 photons can be simulated. A 4-parallel-input MMD2Q circuit is fabricated, and a PNR of 3 is successfully demonstrated for an SNSPD array with one channel reserved for the functional verification. The results confirm that an MMD2Q circuit is an effective tool for implementing PNR with multi-pixel SNSPDs.
ABSTRACT Highly sensitive detectors have become an indispensable part of today's research with applications in spectroscopy, data transmission, and quantum technologies. Featuring high efficiency superconducting nanowire single photon detector are state‐of‐the‐art for today's challenges. However, many applications such as biomedical and astronomical imaging, beam profiling, and spatially resolved photon statistics do not only require an individual highly sensitive photon detector, but rather an entire array of multiple detectors. This paper presents a novel approach for a 2D multi‐pixel array, consisting of electrically multiplexed superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. The scalable design features a 4‐layer fabrication scheme with optimized Chromium series resistors for best dynamic range. The presented approach hereby drastically reduces the number of required contacts from the standard contacts for detectors to only contacts. Our simulations confirm the working principle and prove the scalability up to kilo‐pixel arrays.