Nonlatching Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detection with Quasi-Constant-Voltage Bias

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that using a quasi-constant-voltage bias scheme prevents latching in superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, resulting in improved performance such as lower jitter and higher pulse amplitude.

Contribution

The study introduces a quasi-constant-voltage bias method that ensures nonlatching operation of SNSPDs, enhancing their performance and reliability.

Findings

Nonlatching operation achieved with quasi-constant-voltage bias

Reduced jitter and increased pulse amplitude in nonlatching SNSPDs

Successful measurement of quantum efficiency up to 3 GHz photon frequency

Abstract

Latching is a serious issue in superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) technology. By extensively studying the electrical transportation characteristics of SNSPD with different bias schemes, we conclude that latching is a result of the improper bias to SNSPD. With the quasi-constant-voltage bias scheme, the intrinsic nonlatching nature of SNSPD is observed and discussed. The SNSPD working in the nonlatching bias shows a smaller jitter and a higher pulse amplitude than that in the previous anti-latching method. The quantum efficiency of SNSPD with the pulsed photon frequency up to 3 GHz is measured successfully, which further proves the nonlatching operation of SNSPD.