Ultra-Sensitive Optical Detector With High Time Resolution

• US 20080272302A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Villegier, Jean-Claude, Frey, Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/336.2
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0209 Monolithic
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12107 Grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1226 involving surface plasmon interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device

Abstract

An ultra-sensitive optical detector with large time resolution, using a surface plasmon. The optical detector is configured to detect at least one photon, and including a dielectric substrate, and on the substrate, at least one bolometric detection component, that generates an electrical signal from the energy of received photon(s). Additionally, at least one coupling component is formed on the substrate, distinct from the detection component and including a metal component, and generates a surface plasmon by interaction with the photon(s) and guiding the plasmon right up to the detection component, which then absorbs the energy of the surface plasmon.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. An optical detector configured to detect at least one photon, comprising:

a dielectric substrate and, on the substrate, at least one bolometric detection component configured to generate an electrical signal from energy of received photon(s); and

at least one coupling component formed on the substrate, which is distinct from the bolometric detection component and comprises a metal component, configured to generate a surface plasmon by interaction with the photon(s) and to guide the surface plasmon right up to the bolometric detection component, which then absorbs energy of the surface plasmon.

25. The detector according to claim 24, wherein the bolometric detection component forms a thin and short strip.

26. The detector according to claim 24, wherein the bolometric detection component comprises a single layer of a material selected from bolometric materials and superconducting materials.

27. The detector according to claim 24, wherein the bolometric detection component comprises a superconducting multilayer forming a tunnel junction and/or a Josephson junction.

28. The detector according to claim 27, wherein the tunnel junction is a magnetic tunnel junction.

29. The detector according to claim 24, wherein the bolometric detection component and the metal component are substantially rectilinear and the metal component is longitudinally extended by the bolometric detection component.

30. The detector according to claim 29, wherein the metal component has a first width and the bolometric detection component has a second width less than the first width, and the metal component connects to the bolometric detection component by one end.

31. The detector according to claim 24, wherein the bolometric detection component and the metal component are substantially rectilinear and the bolometric detection component is perpendicular to the metal component.

32. The detector according to claim 24, wherein generation of the surface plasmon is obtained by coupling in a configuration of Otto type or of Kretschmann type or by coupling by a diffraction grating, formed on the metal component, or by a dielectric waveguide formed on the metal component or formed between the metal component and the substrate and that has a refractive index larger than that of the substrate.

33. The detector according to claim 24, further comprising an optical fiber to transport the photon(s) to couple the photon(s).

34. The detector according to claim 33, wherein an end of the optical fiber is cleaved along a cleavage angle, which allows generation of the surface plasmon by coupling in an Otto type configuration.

35. The detector according to claim 33, wherein an end of the optical fiber is cleaved along a cleavage angle, which allows generation of the surface plasmon by coupling in a Kretschmann type configuration and the refractive index of the substrate is less than that of the core of the optical fiber.

36. The detector according to claim 33, wherein an end of the optical fiber is cleaved according to a cleavage angle, which allows generation of the surface plasmon by coupling in a Kretschmann type configuration, and the refractive index of the substrate is larger than that of the core of the optical fiber, and a dielectric layer, the refractive index of which is larger than that of the substrate, is provided on the metal component between the metal component and the optical fiber.

37. The detector according to claim 24, wherein the metal component of the coupling component forms a guide configured to couple a focused incident light beam formed by the photon(s), to a long range surface plasmon, the coupling being performed by an edge of the guide, at a first end of the guide.

38. The detector according to claim 37, wherein the guide is a tapered guide, a second end of which is less wide than the first end.

39. The detector according to claim 38, wherein the bolometric detection component is substantially rectilinear, placed facing the second end of the guide and perpendicular to the second end of the guide.

40. The detector according to claim 38, wherein at least one portion of the bolometric detection component is substantially rectilinear and the one portion is placed under the second end of the guide, parallel to the second end of the guide.

41. The detector according to claim 37, wherein the guide is a straight long range surface plasmon guide placed between two plasmon mirrors and the bolometric detection component is substantially rectilinear and placed at least in part under the guide.

42. The detector according to claim 24, comprising a set of coupling components and a set of bolometric detection components, the set of coupling components forming a matrix of components on the substrate and configured to couple a collimated incident light beam formed by the photon(s), the coupling occurring by attenuated total reflection, in an Otto or Kretschmann type configuration, and wherein each of the detection components forms a bridge that connects two adjacent coupling components.

43. The detector according to claim 42, wherein each coupling component forms a resonator along a direction parallel to a plane of incidence of a light beam on the substrate.

44. The detector according to claim 43, wherein each coupling component further forms a resonator along a direction perpendicular to the plane of incidence of the light beam on the substrate.

45. The detector according to claim 24, wherein each bolometric detection component comprises a superconducting nitride phase.

46. The detector according to claim 45, wherein the superconducting nitride phase is niobium nitride.