A single-photon detector with high efficiency and sub-10ps time resolution

Iman Esmaeil Zadeh; Johannes W. N. Los; Ronan B. M. Gourgues; Gabriele Bulgarini; Sergiy M. Dobrovolskiy; Val Zwiller; Sander N. Dorenbos

arXiv · 1801.06574

A single-photon detector with high efficiency and sub-10ps time resolution

Iman Esmaeil Zadeh·Johannes W. N. Los·Ronan B. M. Gourgues·Gabriele Bulgarini·Sergiy M. Dobrovolskiy·Val Zwiller·Sander N. Dorenbos

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Abstract

The observation of fast physical dynamics using optical techniques currently relies on indirect methods, such as pump-probe measurements. One reason for this is the lack of an efficient detector with high time resolution. Single-photon detectors with high efficiency and ultra-high time resolution serve as the best candidates for replacing such indirect methods. We engineer the nano-structure of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) to achieve a time resolution better than 10ps and at the same time a high efficiency (>86%). Furthermore, at the limit of multiphoton excitation, using an improved readout technique, we reach an unprecedented time resolution of <3ps. These findings set a new upper limit for the intrinsic time resolution of SNSPDs and open up new possibilities for direct observation of fast phenomena in different fields of science.

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Iman Esmaeil Zadeh, Johannes W. N. Los, Ronan B. M. Gourgues, Gabriele Bulgarini, Sergiy M. Dobrovolskiy, Val Zwiller, Sander N. Dorenbos. 2018-01-19. A single-photon detector with high efficiency and sub-10ps time resolution. https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.06574

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