Integration of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector into a confocal microscope for time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL)-mapping: Sensitivity and time resolution.

This report highlights the combination of the MicroTime 100 upright confocal fluorescence lifetime microscope with a Single Quantum Eos Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector (SNSPD) system as a powerful tool for photophysical research and applications. We focus on an application in materials science, photoluminescence imaging, and lifetime characterization of Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) devices intended for solar cells. We demonstrate improved sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, and time-resolution in combination with confocal spatial resolution in the near-infrared (NIR) range, specifically in the 1000-1300 nm range. The MicroTime 100-Single Quantum Eos system shows two orders of magnitude higher signal-to-noise ratio for CIGS devices' photoluminescence imaging compared to a standard NIR-photomultiplier tube (NIR-PMT) and a three-fold improvement in time resolution, which is now limited by the laser pulse width. Our results demonstrate the advantages in terms of image quality and time resolution of SNSPDs technology for imaging in materials science.

In vivo non-invasive confocal fluorescence imaging beyond 1,700 nm using superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors.

Light scattering by biological tissues sets a limit to the penetration depth of high-resolution optical microscopy imaging of live mammals in vivo. An effective approach to reduce light scattering and increase imaging depth is to extend the excitation and emission wavelengths to the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) at >1,000 nm, also called the short-wavelength infrared window. Here we show biocompatible core-shell lead sulfide/cadmium sulfide quantum dots emitting at ~1,880 nm and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for single-photon detection up to 2,000 nm, enabling a one-photon excitation fluorescence imaging window in the 1,700-2,000 nm (NIR-IIc) range with 1,650 nm excitation-the longest one-photon excitation and emission for in vivo mouse imaging so far. Confocal fluorescence imaging in NIR-IIc reached an imaging depth of ~1,100 µm through an intact mouse head, and enabled non-invasive cellular-resolution imaging in the inguinal lymph nodes of mice without any surgery. We achieve in vivo molecular imaging of high endothelial venules with diameters as small as ~6.6 µm, as well as CD169 + macrophages and CD3 + T cells in the lymph nodes, opening the possibility of non-invasive intravital imaging of immune trafficking in lymph nodes at the single-cell/vessel-level longitudinally.

Multimode-fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with high detection efficiency and time resolution.

In the past decade, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have gradually become an indispensable part of any demanding quantum optics experiment. Until now, most SNSPDs have been coupled to single-mode fibers. SNSPDs coupled to multimode fibers have shown promising efficiencies but have yet to achieve high time resolution. For a number of applications ranging from quantum nano-photonics to bio-optics, high efficiency and high time resolution are desired at the same time. In this paper, we demonstrate the role of polarization on the efficiency of multimode-fiber-coupled detectors and fabricated high-performance 20 µm, 25 µm, and 50 µm diameter detectors targeted for visible, near-infrared, and telecom wavelengths. A custom-built setup was used to simulate realistic experiments with randomized modes in the fiber. We achieved over 80% system efficiency and $ {\lt} {20}\;{\rm ps}$<20ps timing jitter for 20 µm SNSPDs. Also, we realized 70% system efficiency and $ {\lt} {20}\;{\rm ps}$<20ps timing jitter for 50 µm SNSPDs. The high-efficiency multimode-fiber-coupled SNSPDs with unparalleled time resolution will benefit various quantum optics experiments and applications in the future.

Optimizing the stoichiometry of ultrathin NbTiN films for high-performance superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors.

The requirements in quantum optics experiments for high single-photon detection efficiency, low timing jitter, low dark count rate and short dead time have been fulfilled with the development of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Although they offer a detection efficiency above 90%, achieving a high time resolution in devices made of amorphous materials is a challenge, particularly at temperatures above 0.8 K. Devices made from niobium nitride and niobium titanium nitride allow us to reach the best timing jitter but, in turn, have stronger requirements in terms of film quality to achieve a high efficiency. Here we take advantage of the flexibility of reactive co-sputter deposition to tailor the composition of NbxTi1-xN superconducting films and show that a Nb fraction of x = 0.62 allows for the fabrication of detectors from films as thick as 9 nm and covering an active area of 20 µm, with a wide detection saturation plateau at telecom wavelengths and in particular at 1550 nm. This is a signature of an internal detection efficiency saturation, achieved while maintaining the high time resolution associated with NbTiN and operation at 2.5K. With our optimized recipe, we reliably fabricated detectors with high critical current densities reaching a saturation plateau at 1550 nm with 80% system detection efficiency and with a FWHM timing jitter as low as 19.5 ps.

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors operating at temperature from 4 to 7 K.

We experimentally investigate the performance of NbTiN superconducting nanowire single photon detectors above the base temperature of a conventional Gifford-McMahon cryocooler (2.5 K). By tailoring design and thickness (8 - 13 nm) of the detectors, high performance, high operating temperature, single-photon detection from the visible to telecom wavelengths are demonstrated. At 4.3 K, a detection efficiency of 82 % at 785 nm wavelength and a timing jitter of 30 ± 0.3 ps are achieved. In addition, for 1550 nm and similar operating temperature we measured a detection efficiency as high as 64 %. Finally, we show that at temperatures up to 7 K, unity internal efficiency is maintained for the visible spectrum. Our work is particularly important to allow for the large scale implementation of superconducting single photon detectors in combination with heat sources such as free-space optical windows, cryogenic electronics, microwave sources and active optical components for complex quantum optical experiments and bio-imaging.

Entanglement distribution over a 96-km-long submarine optical fiber.

Quantum entanglement is one of the most extraordinary effects in quantum physics, with many applications in the emerging field of quantum information science. In particular, it provides the foundation for quantum key distribution (QKD), which promises a conceptual leap in information security. Entanglement-based QKD holds great promise for future applications owing to the possibility of device-independent security and the potential of establishing global-scale quantum repeater networks. While other approaches to QKD have already reached the level of maturity required for operation in absence of typical laboratory infrastructure, comparable field demonstrations of entanglement-based QKD have not been performed so far. Here, we report on the successful distribution of polarization-entangled photon pairs between Malta and Sicily over 96 km of submarine optical telecommunications fiber. We observe around 257 photon pairs per second, with a polarization visibility above 90%. Our results show that QKD based on polarization entanglement is now indeed viable in long-distance fiber links. This field demonstration marks the longest-distance distribution of entanglement in a deployed telecommunications network and demonstrates an international submarine quantum communication channel. This opens up myriad possibilities for future experiments and technological applications using existing infrastructure.

Controlled integration of selected detectors and emitters in photonic integrated circuits.

Integration of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors and quantum sources with photonic waveguides is crucial for realizing advanced quantum integrated circuits. However, scalability is hindered by stringent requirements on high-performance detectors. Here we overcome the yield limitation by controlled coupling of photonic channels to pre-selected detectors based on measuring critical current, timing resolution, and detection efficiency. As a proof of concept of our approach, we demonstrate a hybrid on-chip full-transceiver consisting of a deterministically integrated detector coupled to a selected nanowire quantum dot through a filtering circuit made of a silicon nitride waveguide and a ring resonator filter, delivering 100 dB suppression of the excitation laser. In addition, we perform extensive testing of the detectors before and after integration in the photonic circuit and show that the high performance of the superconducting nanowire detectors, including timing jitter down to 23 ± 3 ps, is maintained. Our approach is fully compatible with wafer-level automated testing in a cleanroom environment.