Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with 98% system detection efficiency at 1550 nm

Published

November 23, 2020

Author(s)

Dileep Venkatarama Reddy, Robert R. Nerem, Sae Woo Nam, Richard Mirin, Varun Verma

Abstract

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are an enabling technology for a myriad of quantum-optics experiments that require high-efficiency detection, large count rates, and precise timing resolution. The system detection efficiency (SDE) for fiber-coupled SNSPDs have fallen short of theoretical predictions by at least 7%, with the discrepancy being attributed to scattering, material absorption, and other SNSPD dynamics. We optimize the design and fabrication of an all-dielectric layered stack and fiber coupling package in order to achieve 98.0 +/- 0.5% SDE for single-mode-fiber guided photons derived from a highly-attenuated 1550 nm continuous-wave laser. This enforces a smaller bound on the scattering and absorption losses in such systems and opens the use of SNSPDs for multi-photon coincident event scenarios which demand high-SDE for throughput and fidelity.

Citation

Optica

Volume

7

Issue

12

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.400751

Local Download

Keywords

SNSPD, photon, single, detector, superconductor, record, efficiency, NIR, near-IR, NIR

Citation

Venkatarama Reddy, D. , Nerem, R. , Nam, S. , Mirin, R. and Verma, V. (2020), Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with 98% system detection efficiency at 1550 nm, Optica, [online], https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.400751, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=930426 (Accessed October 9, 2025)