New Generation of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors

• Main Author: Goltsman G.N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2015-01-01
• Series: EPJ Web of Conferences
• Subjects: superconducting single photon detectors; optical and IR wavelength radiation
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201510301006

We present an overview of recent results for new generation of infrared and optical superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) that has already demonstrated a performance that makes them devices-of-choice for many applications. SNSPDs provide high efficiency for detecting individual photons while keeping dark counts and timing jitter minimal. Besides superior detection performance over a broad optical bandwidth, SNSPDs are also compatible with an integrated optical platform as a crucial requirement for applications in emerging quantum photonic technologies. By embedding SNSPDs in nanophotonic circuits we realize waveguide integrated single photon detectors which unite all desirable detector properties in a single device.