Performance of Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors Using NbN/NiCu Nanowires

We present optical properties of nanowires consisting of both proximitized superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers of NbN/NiCu and pure superconducting NbN layers. Thin NbN/NiCu hetero-structures were deposited on MgO(100) substrates by in situ dc magnetron sputtering, while nanowires were patterned using standard electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. Photo-response signals were recorded from 100-nm-wide, three-parallel and six-series NbN(8 nm)/NiCu nanowires by 850-nm pulsed laser irradiation (time width 400 ps, repetition rate ~ 100 MHz). For the latter configuration the fall time of voltage responses was found to be close to 1.7 ns, and it gradually increased with increasing the NiCu film thickness. Moreover, three discrete families of photo-response signals recorded for the three-parallel and six-series nanowires were also observed.