Gibson Sandra J, van Kasteren Brad, Tekcan Burak, Cui Yingchao, van Dam Dick, Haverkort Jos E M, Bakkers Erik P A M, Reimer Michael E
Institute for Quantum Computing and Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Nat Nanotechnol. 2019 May;14(5):473-479. doi: 10.1038/s41565-019-0393-2. Epub 2019 Mar 4.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with peak efficiencies above 90% and unrivalled timing jitter (<30 ps) have emerged as a potent technology for quantum information and sensing applications. However, their high cost and cryogenic operation limit their widespread applicability. Here, we present an approach using tapered InP nanowire p-n junction arrays for high-efficiency, broadband and high-speed photodetection without the need for cryogenic cooling. The truncated conical nanowire shape enables a broadband, linear photoresponse in the ultraviolet to near-infrared range (~500 nm bandwidth) with external quantum efficiencies exceeding 85%. The devices exhibit a high gain beyond 10, such that a single photon per pulse can be distinguished from the dark noise, while simultaneously showing a fast pulse rise time (<1 ns) and excellent timing jitter (<20 ps). Such detectors open up new possibilities for applications in remote sensing, dose monitoring for cancer treatment, three-dimensional imaging and quantum communication.
峰值效率超过90%且具有无与伦比的定时抖动（<30 ps）的超导纳米线单光子探测器，已成为量子信息和传感应用的一项强大技术。然而，其高成本和低温运行限制了它们的广泛适用性。在此，我们提出一种使用锥形磷化铟纳米线p-n结阵列的方法，用于高效、宽带和高速光电探测，无需低温冷却。截顶锥形纳米线形状能够在紫外到近红外范围（~500 nm带宽）实现宽带线性光响应，外部量子效率超过85%。这些器件表现出超过10的高增益，使得每个脉冲中的单个光子能够与暗噪声区分开来，同时显示出快速的脉冲上升时间（<1 ns）和出色的定时抖动（<20 ps）。此类探测器为遥感、癌症治疗剂量监测、三维成像和量子通信等应用开辟了新的可能性。
