Athermal avalanche in bilayer superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors
Abstract
We demonstrate that two superconducting nanowires separated by a thin insulating barrier can undergo an avalanche process. In this process, Joule heating caused by a photodetection event in one nanowire and the associated production of athermal phonons which are transmitted through the barrier cause the transition of the adjacent nanowire from the superconducting to the normal state. We show that this process can be utilized in the fabrication of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, reduce system jitter, maximize device area, and increase the external efficiency over a very broad range of wavelengths. Furthermore, the avalanche mechanism may provide a path towards a superconducting logic element based on athermal gating.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 28, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4945595
Entities
People
- A. E. Lita
- M. J. Stevens
- R. P. Mirin
- S. W. Nam
- V. B. Verma
Organizations
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- National Institute of Standards and Technology