Fast and efficient detection of a single photon with hole-patterned superconductor microstrips

In this Letter, we report on pattern engineering in superconducting microstrips to achieve a fast and efficient detection of a single-photon over a large detection area. The proposed detector is composed of hole-patterned superconductor microstrips fabricated with a 5-nm-thick amorphous molybdenum silicide film. It exhibits a saturated internal detection efficiency at 1550 nm with a negligible dark count rate and a recovery time of 9 ns with a large detection area (50 x 50 mu m(2)). The simulation reveals that the holes patterned in the superconductor micro strip stimulate the nucleation of the vortex, which constitutes a major key to achieving the efficient detection of photons. This work paves the way for the facile and prolonged regulation of vortex nucleation in superconductors, which shows promise for developing highperformance large-area superconductor single-photon detectors. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.