Next generation nanostructured superconducting single-photon detectors

红外单光子探测器是一项关键的技术，可用于从量子信息处理到遥感和新型医学成像等一系列科学前沿应用。先进的光子计数应用对探测器性能提出了严格的要求，这是传统探测器无法满足的。这项提案的重点是一个非常有前途的新兴单光子探测器技术，基于超导纳米线。这些探测器提供从可见光到中红外波长的光谱灵敏度，具有皮秒定时分辨率和低暗计数。然而，探测器性能目前受到实际量子效率低、器件面积小和制造产量低的阻碍。下一代探测器迫切需要接近100%的探测效率和分辨光脉冲中光子数量的能力。该项目旨在应对这一挑战：我们的目标是创建新一代高效波长可调光子数分辨纳米结构单光子探测器，采用纳米纤维和纳米光学的先进概念。我们的目标是实现基于光学腔和纳米天线的新型高效器件设计，以及具有光子数分辨能力的多像素探测器阵列。该项目是英国剑桥大学和赫瑞瓦特大学的两个主要团体之间的合作，并得到了该领域主要国际团体（美国麻省理工学院）的额外支持。剑桥集团在超导薄膜生长和器件制造方面提供世界一流的专业知识;赫瑞瓦特集团在超导单光子探测器的纳米光学测试方面提供无与伦比的专业知识。这种新一代高性能单光子探测器的开发将肯定英国在单光子科学和应用领域的前沿地位。

Infrared single-photon detectors are a key enabling technology for a host of applications at the frontiers of science, from quantum information processing to remote sensing and new types of medical imaging. Advanced photon-counting applications place exacting demands on detector performance, which conventional detectors are unable to meet. This proposal focuses on a highly promising emerging single-photon detector technology, based on a superconducting nanowire. These detectors offer spectral sensitivity from visible to mid-infrared wavelengths, with picosecond timing resolution and low dark counts. However detector performance is currently hindered by low practical quantum efficiency, small device areas, and low fabrication yields. Next generation detectors are urgently required with near-100% detection efficiency and the ability to resolve the number of photons in a pulse of light. This project is designed to take up this challenge: we aim to create a new generation of high efficiency wavelength-tunable photon-number resolving nanostructured single-photon detectors, employing advanced concepts in nanofabrication and nano-optics. We aim to realise new high efficiency device designs based on optical cavities and nanoantennas, and multi-pixel detector arrays with photon-number resolving capability. This project is a collaboration between two leading UK groups, at the University of Cambridge and Heriot-Watt University, with additional support from the leading international group in this field (MIT, USA). The Cambridge group provide world-class expertise in superconducting thin film growth and device fabrication; the Heriot-Watt group bring unrivalled expertise in nano-optical testing of superconducting single-photon detectors. The development of this new generation of high performance single-photon detectors will affirm the position of the UK at the forefront of single-photon science and applications.