dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaConstriction-limited detection efficiency of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors
| Authors | Andrew J. Kerman, Eric A. Dauler, Joel K. W. Yang, Kristine M. Rosfjord, Vikas Anant, Karl K. Berggren, G. Gol'tsman, B. Voronov |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0611260 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611260 |
| DOI | 10.1063/1.2696926 |
Abstract
We investigate the source of large variations in the observed detection effiiencies of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors between many nominally identical devices. Through both electrical and optical measurements, we infer that these variations arise from "constrictions:" highly localized regions of the nanowires where the effective cross-sectional area for superconducting current is reduced. These constrictions limit the DC bias current density to well below its critical value over the remainder of the wire, and thus prevent the detection efficiency from reaching the high values that occur in these devices only when they are biased near the critical current density.
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"abstract": "We investigate the source of large variations in the observed detection\neffiiencies of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors between many\nnominally identical devices. Through both electrical and optical measurements,\nwe infer that these variations arise from \"constrictions:\" highly localized\nregions of the nanowires where the effective cross-sectional area for\nsuperconducting current is reduced. These constrictions limit the DC bias\ncurrent density to well below its critical value over the remainder of the\nwire, and thus prevent the detection efficiency from reaching the high values\nthat occur in these devices only when they are biased near the critical current\ndensity.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0611260",
"authors": [
"Andrew J. Kerman",
"Eric A. Dauler",
"Joel K. W. Yang",
"Kristine M. Rosfjord",
"Vikas Anant",
"Karl K. Berggren",
"G. Gol\u0027tsman",
"B. Voronov"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ins-det"
],
"doi": "10.1063/1.2696926",
"title": "Constriction-limited detection efficiency of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611260"
},
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