Superconducting nanowire single photon detector with efficiency over 90% at 2 μm wavelength

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/ae1b79

中国物理B ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (1): 18501-018501.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ae1b79

Superconducting nanowire single photon detector with efficiency over 90% at 2 μm wavelength

Zhen Wan(万震)^1,2,3,†, Jia Huang(黄佳)^2,†,‡, Guangzhao Xu(徐光照)^4,†,§, Yu Ding(丁钰)⁴, Xiaoyu Liu(刘晓宇)², Yiming Pan(潘一铭)⁵, Hongxin Xu(徐鸿鑫)², Hao Li(李浩)^1,2,¶, and Lixing You(尤立星)²

1 Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, Shanghai 201315, China;
2 National Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200050, China;
3 School of Microelectronics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 201800, China;
4 Photon Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd., Zhejiang 314100, China;
5 School of Information Science and Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China

收稿日期:2025-09-02 修回日期:2025-10-29 接受日期:2025-11-05 发布日期:2025-12-29
通讯作者: Jia Huang, Guangzhao Xu, Hao Li E-mail:huangj@mail.sim.ac.cn;gzxu@cnphotec.com;lihao@mail.sim.ac.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA0520403), Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2019SHZDZX01)), Innovation Program for Quantum Science and Technology (Grant No. 2023ZD0300100), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U24A20320 and 62401554).

Superconducting nanowire single photon detector with efficiency over 90% at 2 μm wavelength

1 Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, Shanghai 201315, China;
2 National Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200050, China;
3 School of Microelectronics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 201800, China;
4 Photon Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd., Zhejiang 314100, China;
5 School of Information Science and Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China

Received:2025-09-02 Revised:2025-10-29 Accepted:2025-11-05 Published:2025-12-29
Contact: Jia Huang, Guangzhao Xu, Hao Li E-mail:huangj@mail.sim.ac.cn;gzxu@cnphotec.com;lihao@mail.sim.ac.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA0520403), Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2019SHZDZX01)), Innovation Program for Quantum Science and Technology (Grant No. 2023ZD0300100), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U24A20320 and 62401554).

摘要/Abstract

摘要： We here report a high system detection efficiency (SDE) superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) at 2 μm wavelength. The device integrates a SiO₂/Ta₂O₅ distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and a sandwich-structured double-layer NbN nanowire to enhance the optical absorption efficiency. A cold development technique is implemented to optimize the superconducting nanowires with sub-40-nm linewidths, thus enhancing the intrinsic detection efficiency (IDE). The fabricated SSPD shows an SDE exceeding 90% at 2 μm wavelength. Moreover, the detector allows an operational working temperature of 2.2 K provided by a compact GM cryo-cooler. This detector delivers excellent performance at the 2 μm wavelength, and its optimized structural design implies promising potential for extending detection toward longer infrared bands. It thus holds value for advancing high-sensitivity quantum technologies, mid-infrared optical communications, and dark matter detection research.

关键词: superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs), system detection efficiency, near infrared

Abstract: We here report a high system detection efficiency (SDE) superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) at 2 μm wavelength. The device integrates a SiO₂/Ta₂O₅ distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and a sandwich-structured double-layer NbN nanowire to enhance the optical absorption efficiency. A cold development technique is implemented to optimize the superconducting nanowires with sub-40-nm linewidths, thus enhancing the intrinsic detection efficiency (IDE). The fabricated SSPD shows an SDE exceeding 90% at 2 μm wavelength. Moreover, the detector allows an operational working temperature of 2.2 K provided by a compact GM cryo-cooler. This detector delivers excellent performance at the 2 μm wavelength, and its optimized structural design implies promising potential for extending detection toward longer infrared bands. It thus holds value for advancing high-sensitivity quantum technologies, mid-infrared optical communications, and dark matter detection research.

Key words: superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs), system detection efficiency, near infrared

中图分类号: (Superconducting devices)

85.25.-j

42.60.Lh (Efficiency, stability, gain, and other operational parameters) 95.85.Jq (Near infrared (0.75-3 μm))

Zhen Wan(万震), Jia Huang(黄佳), Guangzhao Xu(徐光照), Yu Ding(丁钰), Xiaoyu Liu(刘晓宇), Yiming Pan(潘一铭), Hongxin Xu(徐鸿鑫), Hao Li(李浩), and Lixing You(尤立星). Superconducting nanowire single photon detector with efficiency over 90% at 2 μm wavelength[J]. 中国物理B, 2026, 35(1): 18501-018501.

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Superconducting nanowire single photon detector with efficiency over 90% at 2 μm wavelength

Superconducting nanowire single photon detector with efficiency over 90% at 2 μm wavelength

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