Inhomogeneity-induced timing jitter of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

We show that the distributed electronic and geometric inhomogeneity of a superconducting nanowire induces timing jitter of the resulting single-photon detector and this timing jitter could be further exacerbated by localized constrictions. Due to the distributed inhomogeneity, photons absorbed at different locations of the nanowire generate hotspots that “sense” different local properties of the nanowire during the electro-thermal evolutions and thereby produce varying time delays. The localized constrictions limit the bias current, slow down the Joule-heating process, and consequently increase the average time delays and the inhomogeneity-induced timing jitter. We combine the Monte-Carlo method and the electro-thermal simulation to illustrate the inhomogeneity-induced timing jitter.