Engineering and Physics of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

超导纳米线单光子探测器的工程与物理

• 批准号: 1128222
• 负责人: Karl Berggren
• 金额: $ 37万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1128222&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Engineering; Physics; Superconducting; Nanowire; Single

The objective of this program is to engineer nanostructures to control the thermal properties of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Specific objectives are: engineer the electro-thermal response of the detectors to improve the speed of these devices; and, model the microscopic mechanism of photodetection to shed light on the physical origin of the detector jitter and minimize it. To achieve the first objective, an improved electro-thermal model of the superconducting nanowire will be developed. Nanostructures will be designed to directly control the thermal behaviour of the nanowires at the nanoscale, which will in turn allow validating the predictions the theoretical model. Achieving the second objective will require the development of a detailed model of the excitation and expansion of the hot-spot. The intellectual merit of this program is to advance the speed and timing precision of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors by first clarifying their fundamental physics of operation, and then engineering a new device architecture based on this understanding. The broader impacts of this program are: (1) the introduction of a new generation of diverse undergraduate and graduate students to the fields of superconductivity, thermal processes in condensed matter, and nano- and quantum-optics; (2) the integration of the scientific results as case studies into the curriculum of two courses (one for graduate students and advanced undergraduates, and another targeted at post-graduate professionals), which focus on the practical role of nanofabrication in advanced research; and (3) the development of technological applications in industrial and scientific areas ranging from communications to astrophysical observations.

该程序的目的是设计纳米结构，以控制超导纳米射线单光子探测器的热性能。具体目标是：工程师对检测器的电热响应提高这些设备的速度；并且，将光电检测的微观机制建模为阐明检测器抖动的物理起源并将其最小化。为了实现第一个目标，将开发超导纳米线的改进的电热模型。纳米结构将旨在直接控制纳米级纳米线的热行为，这又可以验证预测理论模型。实现第二个目标将需要开发热点激发和扩展的详细模型。该程序的智力优点是通过首先阐明其基本的操作物理学，然后基于此理解来设计新的设备体系结构，从而提高超导纳米型单光子探测器的速度和时机精度。该计划的更广泛的影响是：（1）将新一代的不同本科生和研究生引入超导性，冷凝物中的热过程以及纳米和量子 - 词； （2）将科学结果作为案例研究的整合到两个课程的课程中（一个针对研究生和高级本科生，另一个针对研究生专业人员），该课程的重点是纳米制作在高级研究中的实际作用； （3）从通信到天体物理观察的工业和科学领域的技术应用的发展。