Researchers at NIST have developed a high-efficiency single-photon detector system using superconducting nanowire technology. The device, known as a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), has the potential to revolutionize various fields including telecommunications, quantum information science, and data encryption.
The SNSPD system incorporates nanowires made of a superconducting film, approximately 4 nm to 6 nm thick and 100 nm to 200 nm wide. When a photon strikes one such wire, it forms a “hot spot” at which superconductivity is lost, diverting current through other sections of the wire. The design has undergone several improvements, including a three-dimensional configuration with two meanders in a vertical stack at right angles to one another, boosting peak system detection efficiency to around 87%.
The researchers are optimistic about the potential of WSi, the material used in the SNSPD system, as it is more tolerable to imperfections in the fabrication process, allowing for the creation of large arrays or cameras. They anticipate being able to detect single photons at mid-infrared range (with wavelengths of 2 µm to 5 µm) with very few, if any, dark counts.
The development of the SNSPD system has significant implications for various fields, including fiber-based telecommunications, quantum information science, and data encryption. The ability to detect single photons with high efficiency and accuracy could lead to breakthroughs in these areas, enabling the creation of more secure communication systems and advancing our understanding of quantum mechanics.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2013/02/high-efficiency-fastest-single-photon-detector-system
Keywords: Single-photon detector, Superconducting nanowire, Quantum information science, High-efficiency detection, Cryotechnology
