High-timing-precision detection of single X-ray photons by superconducting nanowires
Shuya Guo, Jingrou Tan, Hengbin Zhang, Jinguang Wang, Tianhao Ji, Labao Zhang, Xiaolong Hu, Jian Chen, Jun Xie, Kai Zou, Yun Meng, Xiaomin Bei, Ling-An Wu, Qi Chen, Hao Wang, Xuecou Tu, Xiaoqing Jia, Qingyuan Zhao, Lin Kang, Peiheng Wu
Abstract
Abstract Precisely acquiring the timing information of individual X-ray photons is important in both fundamental research and practical applications. The timing precision of commonly used X-ray single-photon detectors remains in the range of one hundred picoseconds to microseconds. In this work, we report on high-timing-precision detection of single X-ray photons through the fast transition to the normal state from the superconductive state of superconducting nanowires. We successfully demonstrate a free-running X-ray single-photon detector with a timing resolution of 20.1 ps made of 100-nm-thick niobium nitride film with an active area of 50 μm by 50 μm. By using a repeated differential timing measurement on two adjacent X-ray single-photon detectors, we demonstrate a precision of 0.87 ps in the arrival-time difference of X-ray photon measurements. Therefore, our work significantly enhances the timing precision in X-ray photon counting, opening a new niche for ultrafast X-ray photonics and many associated applications.