High-efficiency and large-detection-area superconducting nanowire single photon detector integrated with high-contrast grating

By using a high-contrast grating (HCG, high transmittance >90%) to control the phase shift of incident light, we theoretically designed a novel-structured HCG-integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (HCG-SNSPD) with a high-efficiency and large light-receiving area. Without enlarging the typical single-pixel SNSPD nanowire area (10  μm×10  μm), the effective detection area is expanded to 115 μm, while the absorption efficiency of the nanowire reaches 84.9% at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The effective detection area of HCG-SNSPD is increased by 11.5 times compared to that of conventional single-pixel SNSPDs. Moreover, the absorption efficiencies of HCG-SNSPD exceed 70% at wavelengths ranging from 1460 nm to 1650 nm, indicating high-efficiency broadband detection. This study promotes new possibilities for the application of SNSPDs.