A compact multi-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array supporting gigabit space-to-ground communications  

作　　者：Hao Hao Qing-Yuan Zhao Yang-Hui Huang Jie Deng Fan Yang Sai-Ying Ru Zhen Liu Chao Wan Hao Liu Zhi-Jian Li Hua-Bing Wang Xue-Cou Tu La-Bao Zhang Xiao-Qing Jia Xing-Long Wu Jian Chen Lin Kang Pei-Heng Wu 

机构地区：[1]Research Institute of Superconductor Electronics(RISE),School of Electronic Science and Engineering,Nanjing University,Nanjing,Jiangsu 210023,China [2]Purple Mountain Laboratories,Nanjing,Jiangsu 211111,China [3]Hefei National Laboratory,Hefei,Anhui 230088,China [4]National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics,Nanjing University,Nanjing 210023,China

出　　处：《Light(Science & Applications)》2024年第2期254-266,共13页光（科学与应用)（英文版）

基　　金：This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation(Nos.62325105,62227820,62071214,62288101,61571217,and 11227904);Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20230020);the Innovation Program for Quantum Science and Technology(No.2021ZD0303401);the Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Manipulating Technique of Electromagnetic Waves.

摘　　要：Classical and quantum space-to-ground communications necessitate highly sensitive receivers capable of extracting information from modulated photons to extend the communication distance from near-earth orbits to deep space explorations.To achieve gigabit data rates while mitigating strong background noise photons and beam drift in a highly attenuated free-space channel,a comprehensive design of a multi-functional detector is indispensable.In this study,we present an innovative compact multi-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array that integrates near-unity detection efficiency(91.6%),high photon counting rate(1.61 Gcps),large dynamic range for resolving different photon numbers(1-24),and four-quadrant position sensing function all within one device.Furthermore,we have constructed a communication testbed to validate the advantages offered by such an architecture.Through 8-PPM(pulse position modulation)format communication experiments,we have achieved an impressive maximum data rate of 1.5 Gbps,demonstrating sensitivities surpassing previous benchmarks at respective speeds.By incorporating photon number information into error correction codes,the receiver can tolerate maximum background noise levels equivalent to 0.8 photons/slot at a data rate of 120 Mbps—showcasing a great potential for daylight operation scenarios.Additionally,preliminary beam tracking tests were conducted through open-loop scanning techniques,which revealed clear quantitative dependence indicating sensitivity variations based on beam location.Based on the device characterizations and communication results,we anticipate that this device architecture,along with its corresponding signal processing and coding techniques,will be applicable in future space-to-ground communication tasks.

关 键 词：photon SUPPORTING correction 

分 类 号：O57[理学—粒子物理与原子核物理]