Efficient mid-infrared single-photon detection using superconducting NbTiN nanowires with high time resolution in a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler

• DOI: 10.1364/prj.437834
• Publication Date: 2022-01-25T20:00:07Z
• Authors: Jin Chang; Johannes W. N. Los; Ronan Gourgues; Stephan Steinhauer; S. N. Dorenbos; Silvania F. Pereira; H. Paul Urbach; Val Zwiller; Iman Esmaeil Zadeh
• Keywords: 535; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Shortly after their inception, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) became the leading quantum light detection technology. With capability of detecting single-photons with near-unity efficiency, high time resolution, low dark count rate, and fast recovery time, SNSPDs outperform conventional techniques. However, lower energy single photons ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" id="m1"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo form="prefix">&lt;</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.8</mml:mn> <mml:mtext> </mml:mtext> <mml:mi>eV</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) efficiency timing jitter has remained a challenge. To achieve unity internal at mid-infrared wavelengths, previous works used amorphous materials gaps expense reduced resolution (close to nanosecond), by operating them in complex milliKelvin (mK) dilution refrigerators. In this work, we provide an alternative approach fabricated from 5 9.5 nm thick NbTiN films devices operated Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers. By optimizing film deposition process, thickness, design, our fiber-coupled achieved id="m2"> form="prefix">&gt;</mml:mo> <mml:mn>70</mml:mn> <mml:mi>%</mml:mi> system (SDE) 2 μm sub-15 ps jitter. Furthermore, same batch demonstrated 3 80% 4 μm, paving road for efficient technology unparalleled without mK cooling requirements. We also systematically studied rates (DCRs) coupled different types optical fibers blackbody radiation filters. This offers insight into trade-off between bandwidth DCRs SNSPDs. conclude, paper significantly extends working wavelength range made polycrystalline 1.5–4 expect optics experiments applications benefit far-reaching