Characterization of parallel superconducting nanowire single photon detectors

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) have been realized using an innovative parallel wire configuration. This configuration allows, at the same time, a large detection area and a fast response, with the additional advantage of large signal amplitudes. The detectors have been thoroughly characterized in terms of signal properties (amplitude, risetime and falltime), detector operation (latching and not latching) and quantum efficiency (at 850 nm). It has been shown that the parallel SNSPD is able to provide significantly higher maximum count rates for large area SNSPDs than meandered SNSPDs. Through a proper parallel wire configuration the increase in maximum count rate can be obtained without latching problems.

[1]  Francesco Mattioli,et al.  A cascade switching superconducting single photon detector , 2007 .

[2]  Eric A. Dauler,et al.  Kinetic-inductance-limited reset time of superconducting nanowire photon counters , 2005, physics/0510238.

[3]  Andrea Fiore,et al.  Superconducting nanowire photon-number-resolving detector at telecommunication wavelengths , 2008 .

[4]  S. Pagano,et al.  Fabrication and test of Superconducting Single Photon Detectors , 2006 .

[5]  M. Siegel,et al.  Spectral Sensitivity and Spectral Resolution of Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[6]  O. Okunev,et al.  Picosecond superconducting single-photon optical detector , 2001 .

[7]  O. Okunev,et al.  Detection efficiency of large-active-area NbN single-photon superconducting detectors in the ultraviolet to near-infrared range , 2002 .

[8]  Vikas Anant,et al.  Nanowire single-photon detector with an integrated optical cavity and anti-reflection coating. , 2006, Optics express.

[9]  V. Anant,et al.  Modeling the Electrical and Thermal Response of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[10]  Masahide Sasaki,et al.  Large sensitive-area NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors fabricated on single-crystal MgO substrates , 2008 .

[11]  A. Divochiy,et al.  Ultrafast reset time of superconducting single photon detectors , 2008 .

[12]  P. Kouminov,et al.  Sensitivity and gigahertz counting performance of NbN superconducting single-photon detectors , 2004 .

[13]  S. Marchetti,et al.  Maximum count rate of large area superconducting single photon detectors , 2009 .

[14]  Eric A. Dauler,et al.  Constriction-limited detection efficiency of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors , 2006, physics/0611260.

[15]  O. Okunev,et al.  An ultrafast NbN hot-electron single-photon detector for electronic applications , 2002 .