Ultra-sensitive Short-Wave Infrared Single-Photon Detection using a Silicon Single-Electron Transistor

TL;DR

This paper presents a silicon-based single-electron transistor capable of detecting single photons in the short-wave infrared range with ultra-high sensitivity, advancing quantum technology applications.

Contribution

The study demonstrates a CMOS-compatible silicon device that achieves single-photon detection in SWIR using a codoped silicon SET in an SOI-FET configuration, which was previously challenging.

Findings

Detects single SWIR photons with high sensitivity

Shows measurable shifts in SET current peaks under light

Achieves noise equivalent power of approximately 10^-19 W Hz^-1/2

Abstract

Ultra-sensitive short-wave infrared (SWIR) photon detection is a crucial aspect of ongoing research in quantum technology. However, developing such detectors on a CMOS-compatible silicon technological platform has been challenging due to the low absorption coefficient for silicon in the SWIR range. In this study, a codoped silicon-based single-electron transistor (SET) in a silicon-on-insulator field-effect transistor (SOI-FET) configuration is fabricated, which successfully detects single photons in the SWIR range with ultra-high sensitivity. The detection mechanism is evidenced by the shift in the onset of the SET current peaks and by the occurrence of random telegraph signals (RTS) under light irradiation, as compared to the dark condition. The calculated sensitivity of our device, in terms of noise equivalent power, is approximately 10-19 W Hz-1/2.