STTR Phase I: Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Cameras for Time-Resolved Quantum Imaging

这个小型企业技术转让(STTR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将对包括量子信息科学、生物医学成像和遥感在内的各种领域的时间相关成像应用产生革命性的影响，与同等尺寸的光子计数相机相比，在暗计数率和时间分辨率方面提供数量级的改进，同时为在以前无法访问的波长区域(如200-400 nm的紫外线和1.8-10微米的中红外)实现高效的时间相关成像开辟了前景。随着这些性能优势被引入时间相关成像领域，新类别的实验将成为可能，从而能够进一步渗透到量子信息市场，并将超导纳米线单光子探测器引入以前无法进入的市场，包括生物医学成像和遥感。这个小型企业技术转让(STTR)第一阶段项目将展示一种新的多路复用技术的可行性，使大格式千像素超导纳米线单光子探测器焦平面阵列成为可能，并评估其商业生产的可行性。这将需要开发新的器件制造工艺、探测器设计、测试程序和器件模型，同时利用以前成功的技术开发努力。将解决的主要技术挑战包括展示高产量器件制造，调查和减轻像素之间的串扰作用，以及验证读出方案的可扩展性和实用性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will be to have a transformative impact on time-correlated imaging applications in a variety of fields, including quantum information science, biomedical imaging, and remote sensing, by offering order-of-magnitude improvements in dark count rates and time resolution over comparably sized photon counting cameras, while opening the prospect for efficient time-correlated imaging in previously inaccessible wavelength regimes, such as the UV from 200-400 nm, and the mid-infrared from 1.8-10 um. With the introduction of these performance advantages to the field of time-correlated imaging, new classes of experiments will become possible, enabling further penetration into the quantum information market and the introduction of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors to previously inaccessible markets including biomedical imaging and remote sensing. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will demonstrate the viability of a new multiplexing technique enabling large-format kilopixel superconducting nanowire single photon detector focal plane arrays and evaluate its viability for commercial production. This will require the development of new device fabrication processes, detector designs, test procedures, and device models while leveraging previous successful technology development efforts. The primary technical challenges that will be addressed include demonstrating high-yield device fabrication, investigating and mitigating the role of crosstalk between pixels, and validating the scalability and practicality of the readout scheme.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.