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Abstract:
Experimental research has been conducted in order to establish the new quantum key distribution system for secure and undecipherable quantum communications. The system has been based on optical single-photon transmitters and superconducting single-photon detector receivers. The photon transmitters were based on heavily attenuated femtosecond optical pulses, generated by a high-repetition-rate laser. Novel superconducting devices were designed and developed for efficient and ultrafast counting of visible-light and near- infrared (telecommunication wavelength) photons. The devices were fabricated as nanostructured superconducting NbN serpentine lines with the active area of 100 micrometers squared and operated at 4.2 K inside a cryostat. The detector experimental quantum efficiency reached above 10% for visible-light and up to 8% for near-infrared photons. The dark counts were 0.1 per second. The real-time photon counting rate was above 2 GHz and jitter was 18 ps. In terms of the photon-counting performance, our detectors are significantly better than any competing avalanche photodiodes and photomultipliers.
| Limitations: |
 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE |
| Description: |
Final rept. 1 Jul 2001-31 Dec 2003 |
| Pages: |
10 |
| Report Date: |
01 DEC 2004 |
| Contract Number: |
F49620-01-1-0463 |
| Report Number: |
A316824 |
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