A NbTiN superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) on a silicon-on-insulator substrate

• Main Author: Yan, Xiruo
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2017
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/60399

Single photon detectors are essential part of most optical quantum information applications. Among all candidates, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPD) have the advantages of low jitter, low dark count rates and high maximum count rate. Commercial systems based on these detector elements currently cost on order $50-100K. In this project a circular meander design of a free-space SNSPD is fabricated and tested in house. Although the absolute absorption efficiency of the detector is low, because it was fabricated on a substrate optimized for other applications, the measured and modelled values for both incident polarizations agree within the uncertainties. The bias current dependence is almost constant from 50% to 100% of the breakdown threshold value, which should allow operation at intrinsic dark count rates extrapolated to be < 1 Hz at 2.05 K. === Science, Faculty of === Graduate