175 research outputs found
Energy-gap dynamics of superconducting NbN thin films studied by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy
Using time-domain Terahertz spectroscopy we performed direct studies of the
photoinduced suppression and recovery of the superconducting gap in a
conventional BCS superconductor NbN. Both processes are found to be strongly
temperature and excitation density dependent. The analysis of the data with the
established phenomenological Rothwarf-Taylor model enabled us to determine the
bare quasiparticle recombination rate, the Cooper pair-breaking rate and the
electron-phonon coupling constant, \lambda = 1.1 +/- 0.1, which is in excellent
agreement with theoretical estimates.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; final version, accepted for publication in Phys.
Rev. Let
Superconducting nanowire photon number resolving detector at telecom wavelength
The optical-to-electrical conversion, which is the basis of optical
detectors, can be linear or nonlinear. When high sensitivities are needed
single-photon detectors (SPDs) are used, which operate in a strongly nonlinear
mode, their response being independent of the photon number. Nevertheless,
photon-number resolving (PNR) detectors are needed, particularly in quantum
optics, where n-photon states are routinely produced. In quantum communication,
the PNR functionality is key to many protocols for establishing, swapping and
measuring entanglement, and can be used to detect photon-number-splitting
attacks. A linear detector with single-photon sensitivity can also be used for
measuring a temporal waveform at extremely low light levels, e.g. in
long-distance optical communications, fluorescence spectroscopy, optical
time-domain reflectometry. We demonstrate here a PNR detector based on parallel
superconducting nanowires and capable of counting up to 4 photons at
telecommunication wavelengths, with ultralow dark count rate and high counting
frequency
Impedance model for the polarization-dependent optical absorption of superconducting single-photon detectors
We measured the single-photon detection efficiency of NbN superconducting
single photon detectors as a function of the polarization state of the incident
light for different wavelengths in the range from 488 nm to 1550 nm. The
polarization contrast varies from ~5% at 488 nm to ~30% at 1550 nm, in good
agreement with numerical calculations. We use an optical-impedance model to
describe the absorption for polarization parallel to the wires of the detector.
For lossy NbN films, the absorption can be kept constant by keeping the product
of layer thickness and filling factor constant. As a consequence, we find that
the maximum possible absorption is independent of filling factor. By
illuminating the detector through the substrate, an absorption efficiency of
~70% can be reached for a detector on Si or GaAs, without the need for an
optical cavity.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Applied Physic
Low Timing Jitter Detector for Gigahertz Quantum Key Distribution
A superconducting single-photon detector based on a niobium nitride nanowire
is demonstrated in an optical-fibre-based quantum key distribution test bed
operating at a clock rate of 3.3 GHz and a transmission wavelength of 850 nm.
The low jitter of the detector leads to significant reduction in the estimated
quantum bit error rate and a resultant improvement in the secrecy efficiency
compared to previous estimates made by use of silicon single-photon avalanche
detectors.Comment: 11 pages, including 2 figure
Single photonics at telecom wavelengths using nanowire superconducting detectors
Single photonic applications - such as quantum key distribution - rely on the
transmission of single photons, and require the ultimate sensitivity that an
optical detector can achieve. Single-photon detectors must convert the energy
of an optical pulse containing a single photon into a measurable electrical
signal. We report on fiber-coupled superconducting single-photon detectors
(SSPDs) with specifications that exceed those of avalanche photodiodes (APDs),
operating at telecommunication wavelength, in sensitivity, temporal resolution
and repetition frequency. The improved performance is demonstrated by measuring
the intensity correlation function g(2)(t) of single-photon states at 1300nm
produced by single semiconductor quantum dots (QDs).Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures - submitted 12 OCT 200
Probability of the resistive state formation caused by absorption of a single-photon in current-carrying superconducting nano-strips
We have studied supercurrent-assisted formation of the resistive state in
nano-structured Nb and NbN superconducting films after absorption of a single
photon. In amorphous narrow NbN strips the probability of the resistive state
formation has a pronounced spectral cut-off. The corresponding threshold photon
energy decreases with the bias current. Analysis of the experimental data in
the framework of the generalized hot-spot model suggests that the quantum yield
for near-infrared photons increases faster than the photon nergy. Relaxation of
the resistive state depends on the photon energy making the phenomenon feasible
for the development of energy resolving single-photon detectors.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. Journa
Coherent dynamics and decoherence in a superconducting weak link
We demonstrate coherent dynamics of quantized magnetic fluxes in a
superconducting loop with a weak link - a nanobridge patterned from the same
thin NbN film as the loop. The bridge is a short rounded shape constriction,
close to 10 nm long and 20 - 30 nm wide, having minimal width at its center.
Quantum state control and coherent oscillations in the driven time evolution of
the tunnel-junctionless system are achieved. Decoherence and energy relaxation
in the system are studied using a combination of microwave spectroscopy and
direct time-domain techniques. The effective flux noise behavior suggests
inductance fluctuations as a possible cause of the decoherence.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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