Two decades after their demonstration, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have become indispensable tools for quantum photonics as well as for many other photon-starved applications. This invention has not only led to a burgeoning academic field with a wide range of applications but also triggered industrial efforts. Current state-of-the-art SNSPDs combine near-unity detection efficiency over a wide spectral range, low dark counts, short dead times, and picosecond time resolution. The present perspective discusses important milestones and progress of SNSPDs research, emerging applications, and future challenges and gives an outlook on technological developments required to bring SNSPDs to the next level: a photon-counting, fast time-tagging imaging, and multi-pixel technology that is also compatible with quantum photonic integrated circuits.

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors : A perspective on evolution, state-of-the-art, future developments, and applications

Optical detectors with single-photon sensitivity and large dynamic range would facilitate a variety of applications. Specifically, the capability of extending operation wavelengths into the mid-infrared region is highly attractive. Here we implement a mid-infrared frequency upconversion detector for counting and resolving photons at 3 μm. Thanks to the spectrotemporal engineering of the involved optical fields, the mid-infrared photons could be spectrally translated into the visible band with a conversion efficiency of 80%. In combination with a silicon avalanche photodiode, we obtained unprecedented performance with a high overall detection efficiency of 37% and a low noise equivalent power of 1.8×10−17  W/Hz1/2. Furthermore, photon-number-resolving detection at mid-infrared wavelengths was demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, with a multipixel photon counter. The implemented upconversion detector exhibited a maximal resolving photon number up to 9 with a noise probability per pulse of 0.14% at the peak detection efficiency. The achieved photon counting and resolving performance might open up new possibilities in trace molecule spectroscopy, sensitive biochemical sensing, and free-space communications, among others.

Mid-infrared photon counting and resolving via efficient frequency upconversion

We performed an loophole-free test of Bells inequalities. The probability that local realism is compatible with our results is less than 5.9×10-9.

http://absimage.aps.org/image/MAR16/MWS_MAR16-2015-020168.pdf

A Strong Loophole-Free Test of Local Realism

In the past decade, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have gradually become an indispensable part of any demanding quantum optics experiment. Until now, most SNSPDs have been coupled to single-mode fibers. SNSPDs coupled to multimode fibers have shown promising efficiencies but have yet to achieve high time resolution. For a number of applications ranging from quantum nano-photonics to bio-optics, high efficiency and high time resolution are desired at the same time. In this paper, we demonstrate the role of polarization on the efficiency of multimode-fiber-coupled detectors and fabricated high-performance 20 µm, 25 µm, and 50 µm diameter detectors targeted for visible, near-infrared, and telecom wavelengths. A custom-built setup was used to simulate realistic experiments with randomized modes in the fiber. We achieved over 80% system efficiency and $ {\lt} {20}\;{\rm ps}$<20ps timing jitter for 20 µm SNSPDs. Also, we realized 70% system efficiency and $ {\lt} {20}\;{\rm ps}$<20ps timing jitter for 50 µm SNSPDs. The high-efficiency multimode-fiber-coupled SNSPDs with unparalleled time resolution will benefit various quantum optics experiments and applications in the future.

/pdf/multimode-fiber-coupled-superconducting-nanowire-single-10wsbw0fej.pdf

Multimode-fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with high detection efficiency and time resolution.

The current state of the art of single-photon detectors operating in the mid-infrared wavelength range is reported in this review. These devices are essential for a wide range of applications, such as mid-infrared quantum communications, sensing, and metrology, which require detectors with high detection efficiency, low dark count rates, and low dead times. The technological challenge of moving from the well-performing and commercially available near-infrared single-photon detectors to mid-infrared detection is discussed. Different approaches are explored, spanning from the stoichiometric or geometric engineering of a large variety of materials for infrared applications to the exploitation of alternative novel materials and the implementation of proper detection schemes. The three most promising solutions are described in detail: superconductive nanowires, avalanche photodiodes, and photovoltaic detectors.

/pdf/advances-in-mid-infrared-single-photon-detection-2llg9ozz.pdf

Advances in Mid-Infrared Single-Photon Detection

The invention discloses a single-photon detector based on the superconducting thin film material, which comprises an optical path system, a superconducting device and an electric system. The optical path system is used for coupling, transmitting and regulating incident optical signals; the superconducting device is used for detecting incident photon signals in the environment of low temperature; the electric system is used for reading, processing and analyzing electric signals. The invention also discloses a manufacturing method of the superconducting device of the single-photon detector. The method comprises the following steps: the growth of the superconducting thin film; the graphic design and micro processing of the superconducting device. The single-photon detector has the advantages of high sensitivity, low dark counting, high repeating speed, and so on, and has important prospects of application in a plurality of fields.

Single photon detector based on superconducting film material and method of manufacture

Niobium Nitride (NbN) nanowire is the most popular detection material of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) for high repetition rate and high efficiency. However, it has been assumed to be difficult for fabricating SNSPDs with arrays over large area, which are critical components of quantum imaging, linear optical quantum computing, satellite laser ranging, and high-speed quantum key distribution. This paper reported a 4*4 pixel NbN SNSPDs array with an equivalent receiving aperture of 300 micrometer associated with beam compression technology, which is the first NbN SNSPD coupled by 300 micrometer fiber according to our knowledge. The designed pixel was compact with a filling factor of 98.5%, resulting in a high quantum efficiency of 94.5%, a system efficiency of 46% for photons coupled from 300 micrometer fiber without optimizing polarization, and a system time resolution of 92 ps. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a large SNSPDs array, and paves the way for developing efficient photon camera with NbN nanowires.

A 16-pixel NbN nanowire single photon detector coupled with 300 micrometer fiber

A mid-infrared single photon detector (MIR-SNSPD) was reported based on 30 nm-wide superconductor molybdenum silicide nanowires in this work. Saturated quantum efficiencies (QEs) were achieved at the wavelength ranging from 1.55 to 5.07 micrometer in experiments. At the same time, the intrinsic dark count rate (DCR) was below 100 cps. Thus, this device produced a noise equivalent power (NEP) of 4.5 * 10-19 W/sqrt(Hz). The results provide the foundation of developing 10 micrometer-SNSPD for the applications of infrared astronomy observation.

Mid-infrared single photon detector with superconductor Mo$_{80}$Si$_{20}$ nanowire

The invention discloses a superconducting single-photon detector, which comprises a chip fixing platform, an optical fiber fixing platform and a beam-focusing system. The invention also discloses a package method based on the superconducting single-photon detector, which comprises the following steps: (a) aligning a detection area of a chip with an intermediate small hole of the chip fixing platform; (b) fixing a fiber pigtail and inputting a visible reference beam through another interface of the optical fiber; and (c) by observing an optical system, finely tuning the position between a beam outlet of the optical fiber and the detection area of the chip to fix the optical fiber fixing platform and the chip fixing platform. The single-photon detector can work at a temperature of between 1.8 and 300K, and the alignment of beams and components are not influenced by the increase and the reduction of temperature. A detector packaged by the superconducting single-photon detector and the method has high photon coupling efficiency, stable work and high reliability and can be used for measuring for a plurality of times with good repeatability.

Superconducting single-photon detector and package method

Single photon detection technology is a frontier in the field of photon detection. As a newly developed technique, superconductor single photon detector (SSPD) has many attractive advantages such as wide response bandwidth, low noise, and fast speed. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate a high performance SSPD with large system efficiency and low dark count rate at infrared wavelengths. The devices structure, fabrication process and system performance are presented in details. For our SSPD, we achieve a system efficiency of 60% at 1550 nm with a dark count rate of 100 cps. The time jitter and the maximum repetition rate are also measured to be 46 ps and 50 MHz respectively.

High performance superconductor single photon detector with enhanced system efficiency at infrared wavelength

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