Large sensitive-area NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors fabricated on single-crystal MgO substrates

Journal Article · Mon Feb 11 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2870099· OSTI ID:21016324

Miki, Shigehito; Fujiwara, Mikio; Sasaki, Masahide; Zhen, Wang ^[1]; Baek, Burm; Nam, Sae Woo ^[2]; Miller, Aaron J ^[3]; Hadfield, Robert H ^[4]

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1. National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 4-2-1 Nukui-Kitamachi, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8795 (Japan)
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)
3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Albion College 611 East Porter Street, Albion, Michigan 49224 (United States)
4. School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS (United Kingdom)

We report on the performance of large area NbN nanowire superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs). 20x20 {mu}m{sup 2} area SSPDs with 80 and 100 nm linewidths and 50% fill factor were fabricated in 4-nm-thick NbN films grown on single-crystal MgO substrates. The high quality of the devices was verified by electrical and optical testing and compares favorably to measurements of 10x10 {mu}m{sup 2} area SSPDs. Measurements of kinetic inductance versus bias current indicate that the constriction density is low. The fiber-coupled detection efficiency of the devices was 0.4%-3.5% at 100 Hz dark count rate.

• OSTI ID: 21016324
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 92; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COUNTING RATES
CRITICAL CURRENT
EPITAXY
FILL FACTORS
INDUCTANCE
LAYERS
LINE WIDTHS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MONOCRYSTALS
NIOBIUM NITRIDES
PHOTONS
QUANTUM WIRES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
SUPERCONDUCTORS
SURFACE COATING
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY