A method of resolving a number of photons received by a photon detector includes optically coupling a waveguide to a superconducting wire having alternating narrow and wide portions; electrically coupling the superconducting wire to a current source; and electrically coupling an electrical contact in parallel with the superconducting wire. The electrical contact has a resistance less than a resistance of the superconducting wire while at least one narrow portion of the superconducting wire is in a non-superconducting state. The method includes providing to the superconducting wire, from the current source, a current configured to maintain the superconducting wire in a superconducting state in the absence of incident photons; receiving one or more photons via the waveguide; measuring an electrical property of the superconducting wire, proportional to a number of photons incident on the superconducting wire; and determining the number of received photons based on the electrical property.

A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate and a detection element and p-type and n-type MOS transistors, which are arranged on the silicon substrate, wherein the detection element includes a semiconductor layer, electrodes, and a Schottkey barrier disposed therebetween, the semiconductor layer is arranged just above a layer having the same composition and height as those of an impurity diffusion layer in the source or drain of the p-type or n-type MOS transistor, a region, in the silicon substrate, having the same composition and height as those of a channel region, in the silicon substrate, just below a gate oxide film of the p-type MOS transistor or the n-type MOS transistor, or a region, in the silicon substrate, having the same composition and height as those of a region just below a field oxide film disposed between the p-type and the n-type MOS transistor.

An image sensor includes an array of optically switchable magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) arranged in columns and rows. The image sensor has first lines of transparent conductive material and second lines of conductive material. Each first line is in contact with the free layers of the MTJs in a corresponding row. Each second line is electrically connected to the fixed layers MTJs in a corresponding column. The first lines are concurrently exposable to radiation. The first and second lines are selectively biasable. In a global reset operation, biasing conditions are such that all MTJs are switched to an anti-parallel state. In a global sense operation, biasing conditions are such that, depending upon the intensity of radiation received at those portions of the first lines in contact with MTJs, the MTJs may switch to a parallel state. In selective read operations, biasing conditions are such that stored data values in the MTJs can be read.

According to one embodiment, a superconducting element used as a pixel for detecting a particle is disclosed. The superconducting element includes at least one superconducting strip. The at least one superconducting strip includes a superconducting portion extending in a first direction, including first and second ends and made of a first superconducting material, a first conductive portion connected to the first end of the superconducting portion, and a second conductive portion connected to the second end of the superconducting portion. A superconducting region of the superconducting portion is configured to be dived when the particle is made incident on the superconducting portion along the first direction via the first conductive portion.

A receiving device includes a magnetic element having a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a spacer layer sandwiched between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer is configured to be irradiated with light containing an optical signal with a change of intensity of the light, and wherein the receiving device is configured to receive the optical signal on a basis of an output voltage from the magnetic element.

The present disclosure relates to a device that includes a perovskite nanocrystal (NC) layer, a charge separating layer, an insulating layer, a gate electrode, a cathode, and an anode, where the charge separating layer is positioned between the perovskite NC layer and the insulating layer, the insulating layer is positioned between the charge separating layer and the gate electrode, and the cathode and the anode both electrically contact the charge separating layer and the insulating layer. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the device may be configured to operate as at least one of a photodetector, an optical switching device, and/or a neuromorphic switching device.

A photon detection device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a superconducting photon detector array in which a plurality of superconducting photon detectors (SPDs) are arranged; a plurality of first transmission lines connected to the plurality of SPDs and configured to transmit a detection current output from each of the plurality of SPDs; an address information generation circuit connected to the plurality of first transmission lines and configured to generate, based on the detection current, an address information signal that specifies a superconducting photon detector from which the detection current is output; a second transmission line magnetically coupled to all of the plurality of first transmission lines; and a time information generation circuit connected to the second transmission line and configured to generate, based on the detection current, a time information signal indicating a time at which a photon is incident on the plurality of superconductive photon detection SPDs.

A light detection system is provided for association with a light source. The light detection system includes a light detector and circuitry. The light detector includes semiconductor film and phototube devices and is disposed with at least one line-of-sight (LOS) to the light source. The circuitry is coupled to the light detector and the light detector and the circuitry are configured to cooperatively identify a presence and a characteristic of a light emission event at the light source.

A photon detector is provided. The photon detector includes a superconducting wire having a plurality of alternating narrow and wide portions; a current source electrically-coupled to the superconducting wire and configured to supply the superconducting wire with electrical current; and an optical waveguide optically coupled to the plurality of narrow portions of the superconducting wire.

The present invention discloses a design for reducing a dark count rate of a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) based on a two-wire structure, which includes: intertwining two niobium nitride nanowires that are not crossed to form an SNSPD of a two-wire structure; regulating and controlling behaviors of one nanowire by adopting the other nanowire, and regulating bias current to be close to superconducting critical current; introducing an optical signal into a photosensitive area of the detector by adopting an optical fiber; outputting two channels of signals respectively through the two nanowires to make the dark count rates of the two nanowires mutually excited; and through a voltage comparator and an exclusive-OR gate, reducing a dark count rate signal, and retaining a photon response signal. The generation of the dark count rate of the detector can be inhibited effectively by the unique performance of the SNSPD of the two-wire structure; and by improving the process latter, the coupling efficiency of the dark count rate of the SNSPD is further improved, which is expected to completely inhibit the dark count rate of the SNSPD system and greatly increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the detector.