Sixteen-channel fiber array-coupled superconducting single-photon detector array with average system detection efficiency over 60% at telecom wavelength.

Abstract

We report a compact, scalable, and high-performance superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) array by using a multichannel optical fiber array-coupled configuration. For single pixels with an active area of 18 µm in diameter and illuminated at the telecom wavelength of 1550 nm, we achieved a pixel yield of 13/16 on one chip, an average system detection efficiency of 69% at a dark count rate of 160 cps, a minimum timing jitter of 74 ps, and a maximum count rate of ∼40Mcps. The optical crosstalk coefficient between adjacent channels is better than -60dB. The performance of the fiber array-coupled detectors is comparable with a standalone detector coupled to a single fiber. Our method is promising for the development of scalable, high-performance, and high-yield SNSPDs.