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arXiv · 1210.3675

Soft X-Ray Single-Photon Detection With Superconducting Tantalum Nitride and Niobium Nanowires

Kevin Inderbitzin·Andreas Engel·Andreas Schilling
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Abstract

We have fabricated ultrafast dark count-free soft X-ray single-photon detectors (X-SNSPDs) from TaN with various conduction path widths, and we compare their properties with corresponding data from a Nb X-SNSPD. The TaN X-SNSPDs offer an improved detector performance regarding device detection efficiency, latching and pulse amplitudes. Wide conduction paths allow for a certain energy-resolving capability in contrast to narrow TaN conduction paths. However, wide paths also limit the detection efficiency at low temperatures, which can be explained within a hot-spot model.

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Kevin Inderbitzin, Andreas Engel, Andreas Schilling. 2012-10-13. Soft X-Ray Single-Photon Detection With Superconducting Tantalum Nitride and Niobium Nanowires. https://doi.org/10.1109/tasc.2012.2234496

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