Single-photon detection with high efficiency, high timing resolution, low dark counts and high photon detection-rates is crucial for a wide range of optical measurements. Although efficient detectors have been reported before, combining all performance parameters in a single device remains a challenge. Here, we show a broadband NbTiN superconducting nanowire detector with an efficiency exceeding 92%, over 150MHz photon detection-rate, a dark count-rate below 130Hz, operated in a Gifford-McMahon cryostat. Furthermore, with careful optimization of the detector design and readout electronics, we reach an ultra-low system timing jitter of 14.80ps (13.95ps decoupled) while maintaining high detection efficiencies.
@article{arxiv.1611.02726,
title = {Single-photon detectors combining ultra-high efficiency, detection-rates, and timing resolution},
author = {Iman Esmaeil Zadeh and Johannes W. N. Los and Ronan B. M. Gourgues and Violette Steinmetz and Gabriele Bulgarini and Sergiy M. Dobrovolskiy and Val Zwiller and Sander N. Dorenbos},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1611.02726},
year = {2017}
}