Energy resolution of a superconductor quantum detector

Alexei Semenov; Andreas Engel; Heinz-Wilhelm Hubers; Konstantin Il'in; Michael Siegel

doi:10.1117/12.552578

29 September 2004 Energy resolution of a superconductor quantum detector

Alexei Semenov, Andreas Engel, Heinz-Wilhelm Hubers, Konstantin Il'in, Michael Siegel

Proceedings Volume 5499, Optical and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.552578
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

We report on the energy resolution of a recently developed superconductor single-photon quantum detector. In a superconducting strip quasiparticles created by a single absorbed photon and a bias current jointly cause a normal domain and, subsequently, a voltage transient that manifests absorption of the photon. Given a constant optical coupling, the mechanism suggests a moderate to good energy resolution in the wavelength range from near-infrared to X-rays. We implemented a meander line from a 80-nm wide and 5-nm thick NbN strip to detect single near-infrared photons with the repetition rate 5•10⁷ sec^-1 and quantum efficiency of few per cent. Although with this detector operated at 2 K we have indeed observed photon-energy dependent detector response, the energy resolving capability appeared smaller than the detector model predicted. We suggest that the inconsistency owes to the influence of the bias current.

Citation Download Citation

Alexei Semenov, Andreas Engel, Heinz-Wilhelm Hubers, Konstantin Il'in, and Michael Siegel "Energy resolution of a superconductor quantum detector", Proc. SPIE 5499, Optical and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy, (29 September 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.552578

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