Superconducting single-photon detector integrated in DBR with optical microconnector for MM or SM fiber

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) integrated into a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) with a design center wavelength of 830 nm and a width of 200 nm. This SNSPD is made of a superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) thin film that is produced using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The DBR is made of 15 alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide that are produced through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The reflection efficiency of the mirror is 90% at a wavelength of 830 nm. For sufficient optical coupling, an optical micro-connector optimized for multimode or single-mode optical fibers with a diameter of 128 {\mu}m was formed using two-photon polymerization techniques. The niobium nitride film was deposited onto the DBR surface in-situ in two separate reactors connected by a vacuum transfer. The in-situ technique of deposition of a superconducting niobium nitride film and a distributed Bragg reflector has allowed achieving a detection efficiency of 90% at a wavelength of 830 nm and a dark count rate of 10 s-1 at a temperature of 2.5 K. Additionally, the detector jitter was 50 ps.