High quantum efficiency and low dark count rate in multi-layer superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Journal Article · Fri Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4864131· OSTI ID:22278112

Eftekharian, A. ^[1]

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1. Institute for Quantum Computing, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

In this paper, we theoretically show that a multi-layer superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) is capable of approaching characteristics of an ideal SNSPD in terms of the quantum efficiency, dark count, and band-width. A multi-layer structure improves the performance in two ways. First, the potential barrier for thermally activated vortex crossing, which is the major source of dark counts and the reduction of the critical current in SNSPDs is elevated. In a multi-layer SNSPD, a vortex is made of 2D-pancake vortices that form a stack. It will be shown that the stack of pancake vortices effectively experiences a larger potential barrier compared to a vortex in a single-layer SNSPD. This leads to an increase in the experimental critical current as well as significant decrease in the dark count rate. In consequence, an increase in the quantum efficiency for photons of the same energy or an increase in the sensitivity to photons of lower energy is achieved. Second, a multi-layer structure improves the efficiency of single-photon absorption by increasing the effective optical thickness without compromising the single-photon sensitivity.

• OSTI ID: 22278112
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COUNTING RATES
CRITICAL CURRENT
LAYERS
PERFORMANCE
PHOTONS
POTENTIALS
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
QUANTUM WIRES
SENSITIVITY
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
VORTICES