Two-dimensional cuprate nanodetector with single telecom photon sensitivity at T = 20 K

Merino, Rafael Luque; Seifert, Paul; Retamal, José Durán; Mech, Roop K.; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji ; Kadowaki, Kazuo; Hadfield, Robert H. and Efetov, Dmitri K. (2023): Two-dimensional cuprate nanodetector with single telecom photon sensitivity at T = 20 K. In: 2D Materials, Vol. 10, No. 2, 021001

Abstract

Detecting light at the single-photon level is one of the pillars of emergent photonic technologies. This is realized through state-of-the-art superconducting detectors that offer efficient, broadband and fast response. However, the use of low TC superconducting thin films limits their operation temperature to approximately 4 K and below. Here, we demonstrate proof-of-concept nanodetectors based on exfoliated, two-dimensional cuprate superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-δ that exhibit single-photon sensitivity at telecom wavelength at a record temperature of T = 20 K. These non-optimized devices exhibit a slow (∼ ms) reset time and a low detection efficiency (∼10−4). We realize the elusive prospect of single-photon sensitivity on a high-TC nanodetector thanks to a novel approach, combining van der Waals fabrication techniques and a non-invasive nanopatterning based on light ion irradiation. This result paves the way for broader application of single-photon technologies, relaxing the cryogenic constraints for single-photon detection at telecom wavelength.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Physics
• Subjects: 500 Science > 530 Physics
• ISSN: 2053-1583
• Language: English