Waveguide-integrated niobium- nitride detectors for on-chip quantum nanophotonics

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Quantum Technologies
• Materials Science

Background:

• Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) excel at detecting single to few photons but are limited by nonlinearity at higher intensities.
• Existing detectors struggle to efficiently measure weak continuous photon fluxes across visible to mid-infrared wavelengths.
• Characterizing complex non-classical states of light requires versatile detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and report results on a novel waveguide-integrated hot electron bolometer (HEB) detector.
• To demonstrate the HEB detector's capability for measuring large coherent photon fluxes where SNSPDs are inefficient.
• To explore the integration of HEB detectors with SNSPDs for comprehensive light characterization on a single chip.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of waveguide-integrated hot electron bolometer (HEB) devices.
• Integration of HEB detectors with superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) on photonic circuits.
• Utilizing amplitude multiplexing readout schemes for detector characterization.

Main Results:

• The novel HEB detector successfully measures photon fluxes of large coherent beams.
• The HEB detector operates efficiently in a regime where SNSPDs exhibit strong nonlinearity.
• Demonstrated compatibility between integrated HEB and SNSPDs technologies.

Conclusions:

• Waveguide-integrated HEB detectors offer a complementary solution for photon flux measurement beyond SNSPD limitations.
• Co-integration of HEB and SNSPDs on a chip enables advanced characterization of quantum light states.
• This technology advancement facilitates the study of complex optical phenomena within integrated photonic systems.