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Original Paper

Fluctuations and dark count rates in superconducting NbN single-photon detectors

  1. Andreas Engel1,2,*,
  2. Alexei Semenov2,
  3. Heinz-Wilhelm Hübers2,
  4. Kostya Il'in3,
  5. Michael Siegel3

Article first published online: 9 MAR 2005

DOI: 10.1002/pssc.200460809

Issue

physica status solidi (c)

physica status solidi (c)

Volume 2, Issue 5, pages 1668–1673, March 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Engel, A., Semenov, A., Hübers, H.-W., Il'in, K. and Siegel, M. (2005), Fluctuations and dark count rates in superconducting NbN single-photon detectors. phys. stat. sol. (c), 2: 1668–1673. doi: 10.1002/pssc.200460809

Author Information

  1. 1

    Physics Institute, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland

  2. 2

    Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany

  3. 3

    Institute for Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems, University of Karlsruhe, Hertzstrasse 16, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany

*Phone: +41 1 635 5776, Fax: +41 1 635 5704

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 MAR 2005
  2. Article first published online: 9 MAR 2005
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 5 OCT 2004
  4. Manuscript Revised: 8 SEP 2004
  5. Manuscript Received: 6 SEP 2004

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Keywords:

  • 74.40.+k;
  • 74.78.Na;
  • 85.25.Oj

Abstract

We measured the temperature- and current-dependence of dark count rates of a superconducting singlephoton detector. The detector's key element is a 84 nm wide meander strip line fabricated from a 5 nm thick NbN film. Due to its reduced dimensions various types of fluctuations can cause temporal and localized transitions into a resistive state leading to dark count events. Adopting a recent refinement of the hotspot model we achieve a satisfying description of the experimental dark count rates taking into account fluctuations of the Cooper-pair density and current-assisted unbinding of vortex-antivortex pairs. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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