Due to the constantly increasing demand for single photon detection at telecom wavelengths, superconducting micron-scale bridges (SMSPDs) are attracting attention as a feasible alternative to superconducting nanowire superconducting detectors (SNSPDs). Simple geometry, combined with tunable wavelength response and compatibility with affordable, large-scale fabrication processes, make SMSPDs an alternative to conventional single photon detectors.
SMSPDs exhibit short recovery times and good temporal resolution, enabling integration into photonic circuits where high response rate is essential for reliable operation. We realized 2 µm wide NbTiN microbridge single photon detector integrated with a SiO2/TiO2 Bragg resonator, for the telecom C-band. Furthermore, we correlate the microbridge geometry with observed behavior to validate the quality of fabricated structures and monitor its effect on detector performance.
Interference on thin-film and metamaterial absorbers enables coherent control and processing of quantum light. Recently, this phenomenon was used to demonstrate deterministic control of photon absorption probability, quantum states filtering, anti-Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, and application of geometric (Berry) phase for remote control of light dissipation. Here, we expand these ideas by introducing the regime of distributed coherent absorption where light quanta are absorbed within spatially separated active layers. We show that this scheme allows photon number discriminating detection free from the limitations of conventional temporal and spatial multiplication approaches. Free space and integrated designs are discussed.
KEYWORDS: Superconductors, Single photon detectors, Sensors, Single photon, Signal to noise ratio, Telecommunications, Superconducting detectors, Signal detection, Quantum efficiency, Picosecond phenomena
We report a single photon detector based on NbTiN microbridges, suitable for operation within telecommunication wavelengths. We observed an excellent signal-to-noise ratio of the readout signal while the corresponding jitter contributed by electrical noise was measured to be less than 10 ps. Routing the current through a parallel electrical connection to set the microbridge back to the superconducting state after photon absorption enabled us to overcome the hysteresis of the state transition. Our approach combines facile fabrication of fast microscale detectors with efficient current redistribution mechanism, enabling prospective applications in quantum photonics which requires accurate estimation of photon arrival events.
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