Engineering and Physics of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

该计划的目标是工程纳米结构，以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;以及，模拟光电探测的微观机制，以揭示探测器抖动的物理来源，并将其降至最低。为了实现第一个目标，将开发超导纳米线的改进电热模型。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，这反过来又允许验证理论模型的预测。要实现第二个目标，就需要建立一个详细的热点激发和扩展模型。该计划的智力价值是通过首先澄清其基本操作物理学，然后基于这种理解设计一种新的器件架构，来提高超导纳米线单光子探测器的速度和定时精度。该计划的更广泛的影响是：（1）引入新一代不同的本科生和研究生的超导性，凝聚态的热过程，纳米和量子光学领域;（2）将科学成果作为案例研究纳入两门课程的课程中（一个针对研究生和高级本科生，另一个针对研究生专业人员），专注于纳米纤维在高级研究中的实际作用;以及（3）在工业和科学领域，从通信到天体物理观测，发展技术应用。

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.