Description
Single photon detection at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths has become an important aspect for photon based quantum technologies, with applications in quantum communication and information processing. With regards to detector devices, Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) remain the most promising when compared to alternatives such as single photon avalanche photodiodes. This is due to their ability to perform at near unity quantum efficiency, low dark counts and timing jitter. The performance of SNSPDs greatly depends on the properties of the superconducting material from which they are fabricated, and so a systematic investigation of these detector architectures is important to optimising SNSPDs for different applications.
In this work, we characterised tungsten silicide (WSi) films with different sputtering techniques to determine an optimal fabrication process for SNSPD implementation. We focus on comparing the superconducting properties of films that were deposited under varying sputtering conditions as well as investigating different film geometries. These results will allow us to understand better how changes in sputtering parameters will influence film characteristics that are relevant to SNSPD performance, and to develop an efficient framework for designing and fabricating WSi based SNSPDs.
Future studies will focus on the fabrication and characterisation of detectors, including measurements of key characteristics such as system detection efficiency (SDE) and dark counts. This enables comparative studies across multiple SNSPD design parameters to optimise for quantum photonic applications and will be extended towards integration with on-chip photonic platforms.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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