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Waveguide integrated superconducting single-photon detectors with high internal quantum efficiency at telecom
Oliver Kahl1, Simone Ferrari1, Vadim Kovalyuk1,2
1Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, 76132, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|June 11, 2015
Summary
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) achieve near-unity internal quantum efficiency for quantum photonic technologies. These integrated detectors offer high on-chip efficiency and low noise, enabling advanced quantum applications.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Nanophotonics
- Solid-state physics
Background:
- Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are critical for quantum technologies due to their high efficiency and low noise.
- Integration with photonic circuits is essential for scalable quantum applications, but challenging to achieve without performance loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop SNSPDs integrated into nanophotonic circuits.
- To achieve high internal quantum efficiency and low dark counts at telecom wavelengths.
- To demonstrate compatibility with waveguide-based optical platforms.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SNSPDs within nanophotonic integrated circuits.
- Characterization of detector performance at 1550 nm wavelength.
- Measurement of internal quantum efficiency, dark count rate, and timing jitter.
Main Results:
- Achieved internal quantum efficiencies close to unity at 1550 nm.
- Maintained on-chip detection efficiencies above 70% at low bias currents.
- Measured dark count rates in the milli-Hz range, corresponding to noise-equivalent powers of 10(-19) W/Hz(-1/2).
- Demonstrated timing jitter as low as 35 ps.
Conclusions:
- Integrated SNSPDs offer excellent performance for quantum photonic applications.
- The developed detectors are scalable and directly interface with waveguide platforms.
- These advancements pave the way for practical, on-chip quantum information processing.
