Nanoantenna Enhancement for Telecom-Wavelength Superconducting Single Photon Detectors
Robert M. Heath, Michael G. Tanner, Timothy D. Drysdale, Shigehito Miki, Vincenzo Giannini, Stefan A. Maier, Robert H. Hadfield · Nano Letters · 2015
Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors are rapidly emerging as a key infrared photon-counting technology. Two front-side-coupled silver dipole nanoantennas, simulated to have resonances at 1480 and 1525 nm, were fabricated in a two-step process. An enhancement of 50 to 130% in the system detection efficiency was observed when illuminating the antennas. This offers a pathway to increasing absorption into superconducting nanowires, creating larger active areas, and achieving more efficient detection at longer wavelengths.