Intrinsic detection efficiency of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with different thicknesses

We evaluate experimentally the intrinsic detection efficiency (IDE) of superconducting NbN nanowire single-photon detectors in the range of wire thicknesses from 4 to 12 nm. The study is performed in the broad spectral interval between near-ultraviolet (wavelength 400 nm) and near-infrared (waveleng...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of applied physics 2010-07, Vol.108 (1), p.014507-014507-9
Hauptverfasser: Hofherr, M., Rall, D., Ilin, K., Siegel, M., Semenov, A., Hübers, H.-W., Gippius, N. A.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:We evaluate experimentally the intrinsic detection efficiency (IDE) of superconducting NbN nanowire single-photon detectors in the range of wire thicknesses from 4 to 12 nm. The study is performed in the broad spectral interval between near-ultraviolet (wavelength 400 nm) and near-infrared (wavelength 2000 nm) light with plane waves at normal incidence. For visible light the IDE of the thinnest detectors reaches 70%. We use numerically computed absorptance of the nanowire-structures for the analysis of the experimental data. Variations in the detection efficiency with both the wire thickness and the wavelength evidence the red boundary of the hot-spot photon-detection mechanism. We explain the detection at larger wavelengths invoking thermal excitation of magnetic Pearl vortices over the potential barrier at the edges of the wire.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.3437043