Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detector with Optical Cavity

Increasing the detection efficiency （DE） is a hot issue in the development of the superconducting nanowire single photon detector （SNSPD）. In this work, a cavity-integrated structure coupled to the SNSPD is used to enhance the light absorption of nanowire. Ultra-thin Nb films are successfully prepared by magnetron sputtering, which are used to fabricate Nb/Al SNSPD with the curve of lOOnm and the square area of 4 × 4μm2 by sputtering and the lift-off method. To characterize the optical and electrical performance of the cavity-integrated SNSPD, a reliable cryogenic research system is built up based on a He3 system. To satisfy the need of light coupling, a packaging structure with collimator is conducted. Both DE and the dark count rates increase with lb. It is also found that the DE of SNSPD with cavities can be up to 0.17% at the temperature of 0.7K under the infrared light of 1550nm, which is obviously higher than that of the SNSPD directly fabricated upon silicon without any cavity structure.

A High-Efficiency Broadband Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector with a Composite Optical Structure

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors （SNSPDs） with a composite optical structure composed of phase-grating and optical cavity structures are designed to enhance both the system detection efficiency and the response bandwidth. Numerical simulation by the finite-difference time-domain method shows that the photon absorption capacity of SNSPDs with a composite optical structure can be enhanced significantly by adjusting the parameters of the phase-grating and optical cavity structures at multiple frequency bands. The absorption capacity of the superconducting nanowires reaches 70%, 72%, 60.73%, 61.7%, 41.2%, and 46.5% at wavelengths of 684, 850, 732, 924, 1256, and 1426nm, respectively. The use of a composite optical structure reduces the total filling factor of superconducting nanowires to only 0.25, decreases the kinetic inductance of SNSPDs, and improves the count rates.

Wavelength dependence of intrinsic detection efficiency of NbN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors(SNSPDs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their excellent detection performance;however, the underlying physics of the detection process is still unclear.In this study, we investigate the wavelength dependence of the intrinsic detection efficiency(IDE) for NbN SNSPDs.We fabricate various NbN SNSPDs with linewidths ranging from 30 nm to 140 nm.Then, for each detector, the IDE curves as a function of bias current for different incident photon wavelengths of 510–1700 nm are obtained.From the IDE curves, the relations between photon energy and bias current at a certain IDE are extracted.The results exhibit clear nonlinear energy–current relations for the NbN detectors, indicating that a detection model only considering quasiparticle diffusion is unsuitable for the meander-type NbN-based SNSPDs.Our work provides additional experimental data on SNSPD detection mechanism and may serve as an interesting reference for further investigation.

Performance of a superconducting single photon detector with nano-antenna

The performance of single-photon detectors can be enhanced by using nano-antenna. The characteristics of the superconducting nano-wire single-photon detector with cavity plus anti-reflect coating and specially designed nano~ antenna is analysed. The photon collection efficiency of the detector is enhanced without damaging the detector＇s speed, thus getting rid of the dilemma of speed and efficiency. The characteristics of nano-antenna are discussed, such as the position and the effect of the active area, and the best result is given. The photon collection efficiency is increased by 92 times compared with that of existing detectors.

Pulse-gated mode of commercial superconducting nanowire single photon detectors

High detection efficiency and low intrinsic dark count rate are two advantages of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors(SNSPDs).However,the stray photons penetrated into the fiber would cause the extrinsic dark count rate,owing to the free running mode of SNSPDs.In order to improve the performance of SNSPDs in realistic scenarios,stray photons should be investigated and suppression methods should be adopted.In this study,we demonstrate the pulsegated mode,with 500 kHz gating frequency,of a commercial SNSPD system for suppressing the response of stray photons about three orders of magnitude than its free-running counterpart on the extreme test conditions.When we push the gating frequency to 8 MHz,the dark count rate still keeps under 4% of free-running mode.In experiments,the intrinsic dark count rate is also suppressed to 4.56 × 10^(-2) counts per second with system detection efficiency of 76.4372%.Furthermore,the time-correlated single-photon counting analysis also approves the validity of our mode in suppressing the responses of stray photons.

Terahertz Direct Detectors Based on Superconducting Hot Electron Bolometers with Microwave Biasing

Terahertz （THz） direct detectors based on superconducting niobium nitride （NbN） hot electron bolometers （HEBs） with microwave （MW） biasing are studied. The MW is used to bias the HEB to the optimum point and to readout the impedance changes caused by the incident THz signals. Compared with the thermal biasing method, this method would be more promising in large scale array with simple readout. The used NbN HEB has an excellent performance as heterodyne detector with the double sideband noise temperature （T N） of 403K working at 4.2K and 0.65THz. As a result, the noise equivalent power of 1.5pW/Hz 1/2 and the response time of 64ps are obtained for the direct detectors based on the NbN HEBs and working at 4.2K and 0.65THz.

基于运算放大器的超导纳米线单光子探测器低温直流耦合读出电路

超导纳米线单光子探测器(SNSPD)具有高计数率、高探测效率和低暗计数等优点,在光量子通信、光量子计算、激光测距与成像等领域发挥着重要作用.SNSPD的最大计数率(探测速度)会受前级读出电路的影响,为了提升最大计数率,通常需要使用一个宽带宽的低温直流耦合读出电路.本文报道了基于商用高速运算放大芯片OPA855搭建的SNSPD低温直流耦合放大读出电路,系统表征了该电路从室温300 K到低温4.2 K下的性能参数.通过提升OPA855的工作电压,解决了电路在低温下带宽损失的问题.进一步,将OPA855放大电路安装在40 K温区,使用其实现了SNSPD探测性能的实验评估.相对于常规室温交流耦合电路,SNSPD的最大计数率约提升了1.3倍.本研究可为OPA855芯片在高速SNSPD等低温领域提供相关参考信息.

High-performance eight-channel system with fractal superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors(SNSPDs)have become a mainstream photon-counting technology that has been widely applied in various scenarios.So far,most multi-channel SNSPD systems,either reported in literature or commercially available,are polarization sensitive,that is,the system detection efficiency(SDE)of each channel is dependent on the state of polarization of the to-be-detected photons.Here,we reported an eight-channel system with fractal SNSPDs working in the wavelength range of 930 to 940 nm,which are all featured with low polarization sensitivity.In a close-cycled Gifford-McMahon cryocooler system with the base temperature of 2.2 K,we installed and compared the performance of two types of devices:(1)SNSPD,composed of a single,continuous nanowire and(2)superconducting nanowire avalanche photodetector(SNAP),composed of 16 cascaded units of two nanowires electrically connected in parallel.The highest SDE among the eight channels reaches 96+^(4)_(-5%),with the polarization sensitivity of 1.02 and a dark-count rate of 13 counts per second.The average SDE for eight channels for all states of polarization is estimated to be 90±5%.It is concluded that both the SNSPDs and the SNAPs can reach saturated,high SDE at the wavelength of interest,and the SNSPDs show lower dark-count(false-count)rates,whereas the SNAPs show better properties in the time domain.With the adoption of this system,we showcased the measurements of the second-order photon-correlation functions of light emission from a singlephoton source based on a semiconductor quantum dot and from a pulsed laser.It is believed that this work will provide new choices of systems with single-photon detectors combining the merits of high SDE,low polarization sensitivity,and low noise that can be tailored for different applications.

Large-inductance superconducting microstrip photon detector enabling 10 photon-number resolution

Efficient and precise photon-number-resolving detectors are essential for optical quantum information science.Despite this,very few detectors have been able to distinguish photon numbers with both high fidelity and a large dynamic range,all while maintaining high speed and high timing precision.Superconducting nanostrip-based detectors excel at counting single photons efficiently and rapidly,but face challenges in balancing dynamic range and fidelity.Here,we have pioneered the demonstration of 10 true photon-number resolution using a superconducting microstrip detector,with readout fidelity reaching an impressive 98%and 90%for 4-photon and 6-photon events,respectively.Furthermore,our proposed dual-channel timing setup drastically reduces the amount of data acquisition by 3 orders of magnitude,allowing for real-time photon-number readout.We then demonstrate the utility of our scheme by implementing a quantum random-number generator based on sampling the parity of a coherent state,which guarantees inherent unbiasedness,robustness against experimental imperfections and environmental noise,as well as invulnerability to eavesdropping.Our solution boasts high fidelity,a large dynamic range,and real-time characterization for photon-number resolution and simplicity with respect to device structure,fabrication,and readout,which may provide a promising avenue towards optical quantum information science.

Development of 400-μW cryogen-free dilution refrigerators for quantum experiments

We have successfully developed cryogen-free dilution refrigerators with medium cooling power that can be applied to quantum experiments. Breakthroughs have been made in some key technologies and components of heat switches and dilution units. Our prototype has been running continuously and stably for more than 100 hours below 10 m K, with a minimum temperature of 7.6 m K and a cooling power of 450 μW at 100 m K. At the same time, we have also made progress in the application of dilution refrigerators, such as quantum computing, low-temperature detector, and magnet integration. These indicators and test results indicate good prospects for application in physics, astronomy, and quantum information.

Superconducting nanostrip single photon detectors fabricated of aluminum thin-films

We systematically investigated the detection performance of Al nanostrips for single photons at various wavelengths.The Al films were deposited using magnetron sputtering,and the sophisticated nanostructures and morphology of the deposited films were revealed through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.The fabricated Al meander nanostrips,with a thickness of 4.2 nm and a width of 178 nm,exhibited a superconducting transition temperature of 2.4 K and a critical current of approximately 5μA at 0.85 K.While the Al nanostrips demonstrated a saturated internal quantum efficiency for 405-nm photons,the internal detection efficiency exhibited an exponential dependence on bias current without any saturation tendency for 1550-nm photons.This behavior can be attributed to the relatively large diffusion coefficient and coherence length of the Al films.By further narrowing the nanostrip width,the Al-SNSPDs remain capable of effectively detecting single telecom photons to facilitate practical applications.

超导动态电感探测器的噪声谱分析

动态电感探测器容易频域集成,作为一种新兴的超导探测器件在(亚)毫米及光学波段的天文探测和阵列成像中得到了初步应用.在单像素层面,动态电感探测器的暗噪声水平是关键指标之一.本文详细介绍了一种适用于动态电感探测器的噪声功率谱分析方法,可以较好地平衡噪声频谱分辨率与方差性能,准确且高效地进行噪声谱分析.利用此方法,研究了两种工艺的超导铝动态电感探测器,发现在铝膜上下两层镀氮化硅膜的样品的频率噪声约为裸铝样品的25%—50%.基于这种双层氮化硅工艺,进一步研究了多种几何设计的集总结构铝动态电感探测器在不同微波功率和温度下的噪声特性,实验结果与典型的二能级系统噪声行为相符.本文的研究为动态电感探测器的噪声谱表征提供了一种标准方法,并为研制低噪声的超导铝动态电感探测器奠定了基础.

Photon-Counting Spectrometers Based on Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

Optical spectrum analysis provides a wealth of information about the physical world.Throughout the development of optical spectrum analysis,sensitivity has been one of the major topics and has become essential in applications dealing with faint light.Various high-sensitivity optical detection technologies have been applied in optical spectrum analysis to enhance its sensitivity to single-photon level.As an emerging single-photon detection technology,superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors(SNSPDs)have many impressive features such as high detection efficiency,broad operation bandwidth,small timing jitter,and so on,which make them promising for enhancing the performance of optical spectral analysis.Diverse schemes for photon-counting spectrometers based on SNSPDs have been demonstrated.This article reviews these impressive works and prospects for the future development of this technology.Further breakthroughs can be expected in its theories,device performance,applications,and combinations with in-sensor computing,promoting it to be a mature and versatile solution for optical spectrum analysis on ultra-faint light.

基于超导单光子探测器的红外光学系统噪声分析和优化

高灵敏度的红外探测系统对于远距离探测有巨大的潜力,但光学系统内部的噪声会抑制探测系统的信噪比,从而降低探测灵敏度与探测距离.本文基于红外超导纳米线单光子探测器,设计了一个工作在中红外波段的光学系统,构建了红外光学系统自发辐射计算模型,理论分析了红外光学系统的信噪比和噪声特性.首次提出了利用高性能超导单光子探测器精确表征红外光学系统的微弱背景辐射光信号,为优化设计红外系统提供了依据.并且基于超导单光子探测器的光子计数能力,研究了光学系统的背景辐射对红外探测系统性能的影响,并优化了光学系统的性能.实验结果表明,超导单光子探测器对于分析红外光学系统具有较高的灵敏度,最小可分辨移动距离为2.74×10^(-2)mm,在黑体温度为100℃时,光子计数率提高了6.4×10^(4)cps(1 cps=1 cycle per second),光学系统的耦合效率提升了97%;在黑体温度为102℃时,光子计数率提高了9.1×10^(4)cps,光学系统的耦合效率提升了114%,降低了杂散辐射对探测系统的影响,同等条件下系统信噪比提升2.7倍,对于超导红外探测系统的应用研究具有重要意义.

中国超导电子学研究及应用进展

超导体的发现距今已有近110年了,高温超导体的发现也已经有30多年了.超导材料的电子学应用在最近一二十年取得了突破性进展.高温超导微波器件显示了比传统微波器件更优越的性能,已经在移动通信、雷达和一些特殊通信系统中取得了规模化应用.超导量子干涉器件以其磁场和电流测量的超高灵敏度,成为地质勘探、磁共振成像和生物磁成像等领域不可替代的手段.包括超导隧道结混频器、超导热电子混频器、超导转变沿探测器及超导单光子探测器等在内的超导传感器/探测器可以探测全波段的电磁波及各种宇宙辐射,具有接近量子极限的超高灵敏度,在地球物理、天体物理、量子信息技术、材料科学及生物医学等众多前沿领域发挥越来越重要的作用.超导参量放大器已经成为实现超导量子计算的关键器件.超导集成电路技术已被列入国际器件与系统技术路线图,成为后摩尔时代微电子领域的前沿阵地之一.在计量科学中,超导约瑟夫森效应及约瑟夫森结阵器件被广泛应用于量子电压基准和国际单位制基本单位的重新定义中.在当前的量子信息技术热潮中,超导电子学扮演重要角色,同时量子热潮也大力推动了超导电子学的发展.本文主要对近几年我国超导电子学研究和应用的现状与进展进行概括总结.

微透镜阵列用于线列红外探测器的研究

采用离子束刻蚀制备了线列长方形拱面熔凝石英微透镜阵列，用准分子激光扫描消融法淀积了性能均匀而且稳定的ＹＢａ２Ｃｕ３Ｏ７－δ高温超导薄膜，用湿法刻蚀制备了超导薄膜器件，用微透镜阵列与超导薄膜器件耦合构成组合式红外探测器．测试了组合器件在１～５μｍ红外波段的光响应特性．

阵列探测技术在激光测距中的应用

高精度的空间碎片观测数据对航天器碰撞预警具有重要意义,激光测距技术是目前空间目标距离测量中精度最高的一种技术,但大多数空间碎片上并未携带角反射器装置,激光测距回波信号较弱。阵列探测技术可以提高回波信号较弱的空间碎片激光测距探测成功概率,中国科学院云南天文台2015年开始开展基于阵列探测技术的激光测距试验,2017年成功将阵列超导纳米线单光子探测器和多通道事件计时器等阵列探测技术应用于激光测距试验系统中,分别在2017年3月和2018年3月的激光测距试验中,成功采集2×2和4×4阵列激光测距数据。其中探测到最小目标为轨道高度约1 000 km、大小为雷达截面(Radar Cross Section,RCS) 0.045 m^2的空间碎片;探测到最远目标为斜距约5 000 km、大小为RCS 18.25 m^2的空间碎片。

石英微透镜阵列的制作研究

叙述了采用氩离子束刻蚀的方法制作线列长方形拱面石英微透镜阵列．所制单元石英微透镜底部的外形尺寸为（300×106）um2，平均冠高7．07μm，平均曲率半径202．19μm，平均焦距404．38μm，平均F2数为3．82，平均光焦度2．47×103屈光度，扫描电子显微镜和表面探针测试表明，所制线列石英微透镜阵列的图形整齐均匀，单元长方形拱面石英微透镜的轮廓清晰，表面光滑平整．所制微透镜阵列用于高Tc超导红外探测器阵列的实验证实，微透镜的引入可以显著改善超导探测器的光响应特性．

基于SNSPD与SPAD探测器的激光测距系统的比较研究

通过实验比较研究了基于SNSPD与SPAD探测器的激光测距系统.实验中,当接收回波端衰减120 d B时,天空光背景可忽略,基于SPAD的激光测距系统探测概率低于0.2%,而基于SNSPD的激光测距系统探测概率达35%;当激光发射频率低于1 k Hz,基于SNSPD的激光测距系统探测概率比SPAD高60%以上.研究表明:在探测弱信号回波光子时,SNSPD的探测性能远远优于SPAD,其原因是SNSPD具有较低的暗计数和高探测概率.与此同时,在接收端无衰减情况下,天空光背景会带来暗计数,影响测距系统信噪比.通过仿真分析表明,当背景亮度L0高于30 W/(m^2·sr)时,该基于SNSPD的激光测距系统的信噪比低于6,可能影响测距系统稳定探测.

多元高温超导红外探测器的电极制备

介绍了多元高温超导探测器的电极制备，对电极制备过程中的几个关键问题进行了研究，确定了最佳工艺条件，制备出的电极质量良好，又保持了原超导膜的超导性。采用该电极结构制备的１２元高温超导探测器，已有较好的光电性能，初步验证了高温超导探测器，可应用于热成象。