Source: http://aoot.osa.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-25-26-32650
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 00:34:59+00:00

Document:
We propose and demonstrate a low-power and low-current cryogenic readout interface for a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SSPD) using adiabatic quantum-flux-parametron (AQFP) logic. The AQFP readout interface samples and digitizes the current signal from an SSPD, generating binary output data in accordance with the detection behavior of the SSPD. We demonstrate the correct operation of an SSPD with the interface, where the AQFP readout interface and the SSPD are placed in separate 0.1-W Gifford–McMahon (GM) cryocoolers and are interconnected via coaxial cables. It was found that the temperature of the sample stage did not change even after the AQFP readout interface was turned on, which revealed that the AQFP readout interface uses sufficiently low power and current for a compact cryocooler.
G. N. Gol’tsman, O. Okunev, G. Chulkova, A. Lipatov, A. Semenov, K. Smirnov, B. Voronov, A. Dzardanov, C. Williams, and R. Sobolewski, “Picosecond superconducting single-photon optical detector,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 79(6), 705–707 (2001).
T. Kobayashi, R. Ikuta, S. Yasui, S. Miki, T. Yamashita, H. Terai, T. Yamamoto, M. Koashi, and N. Imoto, “Frequency-domain Hong–Ou–Mandel interference,” Nat. Photonics 10(6), 441–444 (2016).
Q.-C. Sun, Y.-L. Mao, S.-J. Chen, W. Zhang, Y.-F. Jiang, Y.-B. Zhang, W.-J. Zhang, S. Miki, T. Yamashita, H. Terai, X. Jiang, T.-Y. Chen, L.-X. You, X.-F. Chen, Z. Wang, J.-Y. Fan, Q. Zhang, and J.-W. Pan, “Quantum teleportation with independent sources and prior entanglement distribution over a network,” Nat. Photonics 10(6), 671–675 (2016).
D. M. Boroson, B. S. Robinson, D. V. Murphy, D. A. Burianek, F. Khatri, J. M. Kovalik, Z. Sodnik, and D. M. Cornwell, “Overview and results of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration,” Proc. SPIE 8971, 89710S (2014).
A. McCarthy, N. J. Krichel, N. R. Gemmell, X. Ren, M. G. Tanner, S. N. Dorenbos, V. Zwiller, R. H. Hadfield, and G. S. Buller, “Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection,” Opt. Express 21(7), 8904–8915 (2013).
T. Yamashita, D. Liu, S. Miki, J. Yamamoto, T. Haraguchi, M. Kinjo, Y. Hiraoka, Z. Wang, and H. Terai, “Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with visible-wavelength superconducting nanowire single-photon detector,” Opt. Express 22(23), 28783–28789 (2014).
S. Miki, T. Yamashita, H. Terai, and Z. Wang, “High performance fiber-coupled NbTiN superconducting nanowire single photon detectors with Gifford-McMahon cryocooler,” Opt. Express 21(8), 10208–10214 (2013).
F. Marsili, V. B. Verma, J. A. Stern, S. Harrington, A. E. Lita, T. Gerrits, I. Vayshenker, B. Baek, M. D. Shaw, R. P. Mirin, and S. W. Nam, “Detecting single infrared photons with 93% system efficiency,” Nat. Photonics 7(3), 210–214 (2013).
L. Redaelli, G. Bulgarini, S. Dobrovolskiy, S. N. Dorenbos, V. Zwiller, E. Monroy, and J.-M. Gérard, “Design of broadband high-efficiency superconducting-nanowire single photon detectors,” Supercond. Sci. Technol. 29(6), 1–10 (2016).
E. A. Dauler, B. S. Robinson, A. J. Kerman, J. K. W. Yang, E. K. M. Rosfjord, V. Anant, B. Voronov, G. Gol’tsman, and K. K. Berggren, “Multi-Element Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 17(2), 279–284 (2007).
D. Rosenberg, A. J. Kerman, R. J. Molnar, and E. A. Dauler, “High-speed and high-efficiency superconducting nanowire single photon detector array,” Opt. Express 21(2), 1440–1447 (2013).
A. Casaburi, A. Pizzone, and R. H. Hadfield, “Large area Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon detector arrays,” in 2014 Fotonica AEIT Italian Conference on Photonics Technologies (IEEE, 2014), pp. 1–4.
S. Miki, T. Yamashita, Z. Wang, and H. Terai, “A 64-pixel NbTiN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array for spatially resolved photon detection,” Opt. Express 22(7), 7811–7820 (2014).
M. S. Allman, V. B. Verma, M. Stevens, T. Gerrits, R. D. Horansky, A. E. Lita, F. Marsili, A. Beyer, M. D. Shaw, D. Kumor, R. Mirin, and S. W. Nam, “A near-infrared 64-pixel superconducting nanowire single photon detector array with integrated multiplexed readout,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 106(19), 192601 (2015).
E. A. Dauler, M. E. Grein, A. J. Kerman, F. Marsili, S. Miki, S. W. Nam, M. D. Shaw, H. Terai, V. B. Verma, and T. Yamashita, “Review of superconducting nanowire single-photon detector system design options and demonstrated performance,” Opt. Eng. 53(8), 81907 (2014).
Q.-Y. Zhao, D. Zhu, N. Calandri, A. E. Dane, A. N. McCaughan, F. Bellei, H.-Z. Wang, D. F. Santavicca, and K. K. Berggren, “Single-photon imager based on a superconducting nanowire delay line,” Nat. Photonics 11(4), 1–6 (2017).
T. Ortlepp, M. Hofherr, L. Fritzsch, S. Engert, K. Ilin, D. Rall, H. Toepfer, H.-G. Meyer, and M. Siegel, “Demonstration of digital readout circuit for superconducting nanowire single photon detector,” Opt. Express 19(19), 18593–18601 (2011).
M. Hofherr, M. Arndt, K. Il’in, D. Henrich, M. Siegel, J. Toussaint, T. May, and H. Meyer, “Time-Tagged Multiplexing of Serially Biased Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 23(3), 2501205 (2013).
S. Doerner, A. Kuzmin, S. Wuensch, I. Charaev, F. Boes, T. Zwick, and M. Siegel, “Frequency-multiplexed bias and readout of a 16-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 111(3), 32603 (2017).
H. Terai, S. Miki, and Z. Wang, “Readout Electronics Using Single-Flux-Quantum Circuit Technology for Superconducting Single-Photon Detector Array,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 19(3), 350–353 (2009).
T. Yamashita, S. Miki, H. Terai, K. Makise, and Z. Wang, “Crosstalk-free operation of multielement superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array integrated with single-flux-quantum circuit in a 0.1 W Gifford-McMahon cryocooler,” Opt. Lett. 37(14), 2982–2984 (2012).
K. K. Likharev and V. K. Semenov, “RSFQ logic/memory family: a new Josephson-junction technology for sub-terahertz-clock-frequency digital systems,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 1(1), 3–28 (1991).
H. Terai, K. Makise, T. Yamashita, S. Miki, and Z. Wang, “Design and testing of SFQ signal processor for 64-pixel SSPD array,” in The Applied Superconductivity Conference 2014 (ASC 2014) (2014).
H. Kang and S. B. Kaplan, “Current recycling and SFQ signal transfer in large scale RSFQ circuits,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 13, 547–550 (2003).
S. B. Kaplan, “Serial Biasing of 16 Modular Circuits at 50 Gb/s,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 22, 1300103 (2012).
K. Sano, T. Shimoda, Y. Abe, Y. Yamanashi, N. Yoshikawa, N. Zen, and M. Ohkubo, “Reduction of the supply current of single-flux-quantum time-to-digital converters by current recycling techniques,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 27, 1 (2017).
N. Takeuchi, D. Ozawa, Y. Yamanashi, and N. Yoshikawa, “An adiabatic quantum flux parametron as an ultra-low-power logic device,” Supercond. Sci. Technol. 26(3), 35010 (2013).
M. Hosoya, W. Hioe, J. Casas, R. Kamikawai, Y. Harada, Y. Wada, H. Nakane, R. Suda, and E. Goto, “Quantum flux parametron: a single quantum flux device for Josephson supercomputer,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 1(2), 77–89 (1991).
N. Takeuchi, H. Suzuki, and N. Yoshikawa, “Measurement of low bit-error-rates of adiabatic quantum-flux-parametron logic using a superconductor voltage driver,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 110(20), 202601 (2017).
N. Takeuchi, Y. Yamanashi, and N. Yoshikawa, “Thermodynamic study of energy dissipation in adiabatic superconductor logic,” Phys. Rev. Appl. 4(3), 034007 (2015).
K. Likharev, “Dynamics of some single flux quantum devices: I. Parametric quantron,” IEEE Trans. Magn. 13(1), 242–244 (1977).
J. G. Koller and W. C. Athas, “Adiabatic Switching, Low Energy Computing, And The Physics Of Storing And Erasing Information,” in Workshop on Physics and Computation (IEEE, 1992), pp. 267–270.
N. Takeuchi, Y. Yamanashi, and N. Yoshikawa, “Measurement of 10 zJ energy dissipation of adiabatic quantum-flux-parametron logic using a superconducting resonator,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 52602 (2013).
S. Nagasawa, Y. Hashimoto, H. Numata, and S. Tahara, “A 380 ps, 9.5 mW Josephson 4-Kbit RAM operated at a high bit yield,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 5(2), 2447–2452 (1995).
N. Takeuchi, Y. Yamanashi, and N. Yoshikawa, “Energy efficiency of adiabatic superconductor logic,” Supercond. Sci. Technol. 28, 15003 (2015).
N. Takeuchi, S. Nagasawa, F. China, T. Ando, M. Hidaka, Y. Yamanashi, and N. Yoshikawa, “Adiabatic quantum-flux-parametron cell library designed using a 10 kA cm −2 niobium fabrication process,” Supercond. Sci. Technol. 30(3), 35002 (2017).
T. Narama, Y. Yamanashi, N. Takeuchi, T. Ortlepp, and N. Yoshikawa, “Demonstration of 10k gate-scale adiabatic-quantum-flux-parametron circuits,” in The 15th International Superconductive Electronics Conference (ISEC 2015) (IEEE, 2015).
Y. Yamanashi, T. Matsushima, N. Takeuchi, N. Yoshikawa, and T. Ortlepp, “Evaluation of current sensitivity of quantum flux parametron,” Supercond. Sci. Technol. 30(8), 84004 (2017).
N. Takeuchi, Y. Yamanashi, and N. Yoshikawa, “Adiabatic quantum-flux-parametron cell library adopting minimalist design,” J. Appl. Phys. 117(17), 173912 (2015).
S. Miki, M. Yabuno, T. Yamashita, and H. Terai, “Stable, high-performance operation of a fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire avalanche photon detector,” Opt. Express 25(6), 6796–6804 (2017).
Fig. 1 AQFP readout interface for an SSPD. (a) Schematic. The comparator samples the current signal from an SSPD. The XOR gate compares the last sampling result with the second to last sampling result. The voltage driver amplifies the logic signals of AQFP into mV-range binary signals. (b) Timing chart. A pair of logic 1s is generated for each SSPD current pulse. (c) Micrograph.
Fig. 2 Waveforms of the preliminary test. The AQFP readout interface is driven by the two sinusoidal bias currents with a phase separation of 90 degrees, Ix1 and Ix2. Independent of the pulse width of Iin, a pair of high voltage signals (logic 1s) is generated at Vout for each current pulse.
Fig. 3 Measurement setup. The SSPD receives the attenuated laser pulse train and generates current pulses (Iin), which are directly sampled by the AQFP readout interface without amplification. Logic-1 pairs (Vout) are generated by the interface and their count rate is measured by the pulse counter via an amplification using LNAs.
Fig. 4 Count rate, CRaqfp, as a function of the sampling frequency, fsample. CRaqfp increases with fsample and reaches the output rate of the pulse laser (106 cps) at fsample of approximately 100 MHz. The inset shows the observed waveform of the SSPD current pulse with a decay time of approximately 10 ns.
Fig. 5 Count rates, CRaqfp and CRsspd, as a function of the number of photons per pulse, Nphoton. For the entire range of Nphoton, CRaqfp agreed well with CRsspd, which indicates that the AQFP readout interface correctly samples and digitize the SSPD current pulses.

References: V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V. 
 V.