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Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors for Quantum Information Science

Nicolich, Kathryn L
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1620680807226997

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physics.
Quantum information science is rapidly advancing and it is likely that society will experience a major shift in the way we handle information in the coming years. As critical advancements such as quantum computation and quantum cryptography progress, the full manifestation of a second quantum revolution is on the horizon. Photons will be an integral part of quantum information science, especially for communication purposes, so we will need to develop excellent single-photon detector technologies. In this thesis, I describe a promising single-photon detector candidate, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, and provide a new theoretical basis for understanding these detectors. Specifically, I explore the relationship between various detector parameters and the readout signal and show that its rising edge can be described using a characteristic time that is proportional to the square root of the length of the detector and is inversely proportional to the square root of the absorbed photon number n and bias current. Therefore, this work provides a theoretical basis for photon-number resolution in a conventional single-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector. Based on these predictions, I describe a demonstration of photon-number resolution in superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors that correctly identifies more than 99.7% of n=1 events and more than 98% of n>1 events when distinguishing between n=1 versus n>1, as well as explore the effects of other parameters via experiment and by drawing from the literature. While seeking to understand the quality of the demonstrated photon-number resolution, I find that there is likely some spatial variation in the intrinsic detector parameters. I predict that this may result in some below critical temperature resistance in these detectors and verify this experimentally. The resistance ranges from around 50 Ohms at 0.9 K to multiple kOhms closer to the critical temperature. This is small enough to allow the detectors to function at low temperatures; however, its presence is expected to deteriorate detector performance at higher temperatures via induced latching. This work constitutes an important addition to the understanding of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. The theoretically predicted and experimentally verified photon-number resolution will increase their versatility and greatly simplify or make possible many quantum information science applications, including linear-optics quantum computing and boson sampling. The measured below critical temperature resistance is unexpected and undesirable since it can negatively affect detector performance. This is an area that warrants further exploration.
Daniel Gauthier (Advisor)
Gregory Lafyatis (Committee Member)
Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin (Committee Member)
Richard Furnstahl (Committee Member)
96 p.
Physics
superconducting nanowire single photon detector; quantum information; single photon detection; superconductors; amorphous superconductors; rise time; photon number resolution

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Nicolich, K. L. (2021). Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors for Quantum Information Science [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1620680807226997

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Nicolich, Kathryn. Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors for Quantum Information Science. 2021. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1620680807226997.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Nicolich, Kathryn. "Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors for Quantum Information Science." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1620680807226997

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1620680807226997
166
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.