New photon detector for device analysis: Superconducting single-photon detector based on a hot electron effect

A novel superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD), intrinsically capable of high quantum efficiency (up to 20%) over a wide spectral range (ultraviolet to infrared), with low dark counts (< 1 cps and fast (<40 ps) timing resolution, is described. This SSPD has been used to perform timing measurements on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) by detecting the infrared light emission from switching transistors. Measurements performed from the backside of a 0.13 mum geometry flip-chip IC are presented. Other potential applications for this detector are in telecommunications, quantum cryptography, biofluorescence, and chemical kinetics. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.