Engineering and Physics of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

该计划的目标是设计纳米结构来控制超导纳米线单光子探测器的热性能。具体目标是：设计探测器的电热响应，以提高这些设备的速度；建立了光探测的微观机理模型，揭示了探测器抖动的物理根源，并将其最小化。为了实现第一个目标，将开发一种改进的超导纳米线的电热模型。纳米结构将被设计成直接控制纳米线在纳米尺度上的热行为，这反过来将允许验证理论模型的预测。要实现第二个目标，就需要制定一个详细的热点激发和扩展模型。该计划的智力价值在于，通过首先阐明超导纳米线单光子探测器的基本操作物理原理，然后在此基础上设计新的器件架构，从而提高超导纳米线单光子探测器的速度和定时精度。该计划的更广泛影响是：(1)引入新一代不同的本科生和研究生到超导，凝聚态热过程，纳米和量子光学领域；(2)将科学成果作为案例纳入两门课程（一门面向研究生和本科生，另一门面向研究生专业人员）的课程中，这两门课程侧重于纳米制造在高级研究中的实际作用；(3)从通信到天体物理观测等工业和科学领域的技术应用发展。

The objective of this program is to engineer nanostructures to control the thermal properties of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Specific objectives are: engineer the electro-thermal response of the detectors to improve the speed of these devices; and, model the microscopic mechanism of photodetection to shed light on the physical origin of the detector jitter and minimize it. To achieve the first objective, an improved electro-thermal model of the superconducting nanowire will be developed. Nanostructures will be designed to directly control the thermal behaviour of the nanowires at the nanoscale, which will in turn allow validating the predictions the theoretical model. Achieving the second objective will require the development of a detailed model of the excitation and expansion of the hot-spot. The intellectual merit of this program is to advance the speed and timing precision of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors by first clarifying their fundamental physics of operation, and then engineering a new device architecture based on this understanding. The broader impacts of this program are: (1) the introduction of a new generation of diverse undergraduate and graduate students to the fields of superconductivity, thermal processes in condensed matter, and nano- and quantum-optics; (2) the integration of the scientific results as case studies into the curriculum of two courses (one for graduate students and advanced undergraduates, and another targeted at post-graduate professionals), which focus on the practical role of nanofabrication in advanced research; and (3) the development of technological applications in industrial and scientific areas ranging from communications to astrophysical observations.