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Sixteen-channel fiber array-coupled superconducting single-photon detector array with average system detection
Optics Letters
|March 2, 2021
Summary
We developed a compact, scalable superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) array using fiber optics. This high-performance detector achieves excellent efficiency and low crosstalk, paving the way for advanced photon detection systems.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Quantum Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) are crucial for quantum information processing and low-light imaging.
- Scalability and high performance in SNSPD arrays remain significant challenges for practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a compact, scalable, and high-performance SNSPD array.
- To demonstrate a multichannel optical fiber array-coupled configuration for enhanced SNSPD performance.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array.
- Coupling the SNSPD array to a multichannel optical fiber array.
- Characterization of individual pixel performance, including detection efficiency, timing jitter, count rate, and optical crosstalk.
Main Results:
- Achieved a pixel yield of 13/16 for single pixels (18 µm diameter) at 1550 nm.
- Obtained an average system detection efficiency of 69% at 160 cps dark count rate.
- Demonstrated a minimum timing jitter of 74 ps, a maximum count rate of ~40 Mcps, and optical crosstalk below -60 dB.
Conclusions:
- The fiber array-coupled SNSPD configuration offers performance comparable to standalone detectors.
- This approach is promising for developing scalable, high-performance, and high-yield SNSPD systems.
- The demonstrated technology enables advancements in quantum technologies and sensitive optical measurements.
