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arXiv · 2002.12858

Superconducting microwire detectors with single-photon sensitivity in the near-infrared

Jeff Chiles·Sonia M. Buckley·Adriana Lita·Varun B. Verma·Jason Allmaras·Boris Korzh·Matthew D. Shaw·Jeffrey M. Shainline·Richard P. Mirin·Sae Woo Nam
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Abstract

We report on the fabrication and characterization of single-photon-sensitive WSi superconducting detectors with wire widths from 1 {\mu}m to 3 {\mu}m. The devices achieve saturated internal detection efficiency at 1.55 {\mu}m wavelength and exhibit maximum count rates in excess of 10^5 s^-1. We also investigate the material properties of the silicon-rich WSi films used for these devices. We find that many devices with active lengths of several hundred microns exhibit critical currents in excess of 50% of the depairing current. A meandered detector with 2.0 {\mu}m wire width is demonstrated over a surface area of 362x362 {\mu}m^2, showcasing the material and device quality achieved.

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Jeff Chiles, Sonia M. Buckley, Adriana Lita, Varun B. Verma, Jason Allmaras, Boris Korzh, Matthew D. Shaw, Jeffrey M. Shainline, Richard P. Mirin, Sae Woo Nam. 2020-02-28. Superconducting microwire detectors with single-photon sensitivity in the near-infrared. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0006221

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