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arXiv:physics/0610091 · Applied Physics Letters

Single-photon experiments at telecommunication wavelengths using nanowire superconducting detectors

C. Zinoni, Blandine Alloing, Lianhe H. Li, Francesco Marsili, Andrea Fiore, L. Lunghi, Annamaria Gerardino, Yu. B. Vakhtomin, К. В. Смирнов, G. N. Gol'Tsman

Published Jul 16, 2007• 67 citations
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Abstract

The authors report fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors with specifications that exceed those of avalanche photodiodes, operating at telecommunication wavelength, in sensitivity, temporal resolution, and repetition frequency. The improved performance is demonstrated by measuring the intensity correlation function g(2)(τ) of single-photon states at 1300nm produced by single semiconductor quantum dots.

DOI
10.1063/1.2752108

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•Jan 1, 2016•0 citations
The authors report fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors with specifications that exceed those of avalanche photodiodes, operating at telecommunication wavelength, in sensitivity, temporal resolution, and repetition frequency. The improved performance is demonstrated by measuring the intensity correlation function g(2)(τ) of single-photon states at 1300nm produced by single semiconductor quantum dots.
We describe the design and characterization of a fiber-coupled double-channel single-photon detection system based on superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPD), and its application for quantum optics experiments on semiconductor nanostructures. When operated at 2-K temperature, the system shows 10% quantum efficiency at 1.3-¿m wavelength with dark count rate below 10 counts per second and timing resolution <100 ps. The short recovery time and absence of afterpulsing leads to counting frequencies as high as 40 MHz. Moreover, the low dark count rate allows operation in continuous mode (without gating). These characteristics are very attractive-as compared to InGaAs avalanche photodiodes-for quantum optics experiments at telecommunication wavelengths. We demonstrate the use of the system in time-correlated fluorescence spectroscopy of quantum wells and in the measurement of the intensity correlation function of light emitted by semiconductor quantum dots at 1300 nm.
We report on superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) based on NbN nanowires and their application to single-photon measurements at telecom wavelengths. The detectors are realized by patterning ultra thin (3 - 5 nm-thick) NbN films into meanders of 100 nm-wide wires. The films are deposited by DC magnetron sputtering at relatively low temperatures (≈500 °C) on MgO and GaAs substrates (as compared to the approach of high-temperature deposition on sapphire). In 5 nm-thick films, TCsas high as 10 K and 11 K have been obtained on GaAs and MgO, respectively (Fig. 1). SSPDs have been fabricated by a two-mask process using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching on 3.5nm thick NbN films deposited under optimal conditions on MgO. The detectors are 5 × 5 μm2in size, and composed of a 100 μm long, 100 nm wide nanowire folded in a meander pattern with filling factor of 40%. Typical room temperature resistivity ρ is of 190 μΩ·cm, and I-V curves at 4.2 K show a critical current density JCof about 6 MA·cm-2, which are state of the art values. Quantum efficiency (QE) was measured illuminating the detectors mounted in a liquid He bath through an optical fiber. Quantum efficiencies >10% are measured at 4.2 K, comparable to best results on sapphire substrates. In particular, SSPDs show a large increase in sensitivity, temporal resolution and maximum counting frequencies as compared to InGaAs avalanche photodiodes.
Superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) are nanostructured devices made from ultrathin superconducting films. They are typically operated at liquid helium temperature and exhibit high detection efficiency, in combination with very low dark counts, fast response time, and extremely low timing jitter, within a broad wavelength range from ultraviolet to mid-infrared (up to 6mum). SSPDs are very attractive for applications such as fiber-based telecommunication, where single-photon sensitivity and high photon-counting rates are required. We review the current state-of-the-art in the SSPD research and development, and compare the SSPD performance to the best semiconducting avalanche photodiodes and other superconducting photon detectors. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SSPDs can also be successfully implemented in photon-energy-resolving experiments. Our approach is based on the fact that the size of the hotspot, a nonsuperconducting region generated upon photon absorption, is linearly dependent on the photon energy. We introduce a statistical method, where, by measuring the SSPD system detection efficiency at different bias currents, we are able to resolve the wavelength of the incident photons with a resolution of 50 nm.
Two approaches to single-photon detection at telecom wavelengths have been investigated, using semiconductor and superconductor technologies. The low temperature operation of free-running InGaAs/InP negative feedback avalanche diodes (NFADs) was studied, demonstrating that they can operate with an extremely low dark count rate, which opens up a host of new applications. Secondly, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on amorphous materials were developed, fabricated and characterized. These detectors are highly attractive because they can achieve excellent attributes simultaneously, such as high efficiency, low noise, good temporal resolution, no afterpulsing and high count rates. Finally, it was demonstrated that the use of NFADs can enable record distance quantum key distribution (QKD) over 307 km of optical fiber. A next generation QKD system has been proposed and numerically analyzed, aiming at extending the record distance by an additional 100 km and increasing the state-of-the-art secret key rate by over an order of magnitude.