RUSSIA'S FIRST SINGLE PHOTON DETECTOR IS BEING DEVELOPED AT THE INSTITUTE OF SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS
The design of the device is being refined within the framework of the “hundred-million-dollar” project - “Quantum structures for post-silicon electronics”, supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Информация взята с портала «Научная Россия»
At the School of Young Scientists “ Optics and Photoelectrics of Quantum Systems” , held at the Institute of Semiconductor Physics. A.V. Rzhanov SB RAS, Head of the Laboratory of Nonlinear Resonant Processes and Laser Diagnostics of the Institute of Physics of Physics SB RAS, Corresponding Member of the RAS Igor Ilyich Ryabtsev presented the report “Quantum informatics with single atoms and photons.”
In particular, he spoke about the development of the IPP SB RAS for fiber-optic systems of single-photon quantum communication and communications - a single-photon detector (single-photon avalanche photodiode, SALPD).
The device allows you to register single photons and, accordingly, receive information encoded in their quantum state. The advantage of quantum communication is that the key transmission channel for data decryption is closed, and at the same time it is impossible to copy the information transmitted through it and remain unnoticed, because the quantum state of the photon will change, which will be recorded by the participants. Building a high-performance single-photon detector is one of the most time-consuming parts of the entire process of developing quantum communication lines and their components.
“In the process of implementing the project “Quantum Structures for Post-Silicon Electronics,” scientists from the Institute of Physics and Physics of the SB RAS finalized the previously developed design of the OLPD and received a patent for one of the key technological operations - zinc doping. Such a technological stage in our country can currently only be carried out at the IPP SB RAS,” noted Igor Ryabtsev.
Today there are three manufacturers of single photon detectors in the world, the main one is the Wooriro company from South Korea, the other two are in Italy and Hong Kong. In Russia, there is a request for the development of communication channels using quantum encryption from the banking sector and from a number of other industries where secure data transfer is critically important. Therefore, the domestic component base is in great demand.
“A single photon detector has two key characteristics - dark current and photosensitivity. The scientific group at the Institute of Physical Problems SB RAS managed to obtain good indicators of the dark current - it is low, its characteristics are at the level of those demonstrated by world manufacturers. Work is currently underway to improve photosensitivity. Together with a technology partner, packaging will be carried out, after which samples will be tested in the housing. Such a detector is a unique product; no one makes them in Russia. Quantum communications in our country are being actively developed by JSC Russian Railways; today the need can be estimated at approximately 1,000 units per year.”
Work on the creation of a single photon detector at the IPP SB RAS was initiated by Igor Ilyich Ryabtsev, the design development and measurements were carried out by OLPD Ph.D. Igor Borisovich Chistokhin, the growth of semiconductor heterostructures was carried out by molecular beam epitaxy in the laboratory under the guidance of Ph.D. Valery Vladimirovich Preobrazhensky, production of OLPD on the A3B5 production line - under the leadership of the head of the youth laboratory of the IPP SB RAS, Ph.D. Maxim Sergeevich Aksenov, initial testing of experimental samples was carried out in the laboratory of nonlinear resonant processes and laser diagnostics of the Institute of Physics and Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The school of young scientists on the optical and photoelectric properties of semiconductor quantum systems “Optics and photoelectrics of quantum systems” was held at the Institute of Semiconductor Physics named after. A.V. Rzhanov SB RAS with the support of the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 23-72-30003).
The lecture course of the two-day School consisted of ten reports on various topics. The titles of some of them: “Absorbers based on ferrous metals: morphology, electrical and optical properties”, “Universal memory: myth or future?”, “Photocurrents induced by structured radiation”, “Magnetic Weyl semimetal: surface states in transport experiments”.
The invited speakers were leading scientists from the IPP SB RAS, the Physico-Technical Institute named after. A.F. Ioffe (St. Petersburg), Institute of Solid State Physics (Chernogolovka).
The event was attended by more than 40 young scientists - students and graduate students of Novosibirsk State University, Tomsk State University, Institute of Semiconductor Physics named after. A.V. Rzhanov SB RAS, Institute of Thermophysics named after. S.S. Kutateladze SB RAS. In total, the conference brought together more than 60 listeners.