Ultra-high system detection efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for quantum photonics and life sciences

Ultra-high system detection efficiency (SDE) s uperconducting nanowire single-photon detectors are demonstrated for a broad range of wavelengths, from UV to mid-infrared, opening novel possibilities in the fields of quantum photonics, neuroimaging and astronomy.

Detecting telecom single photons with 99.5 - 2.07 + 0.5 % system detection efficiency and high time resolution

Single photon detectors are indispensable tools in optics, from fundamental measurements to quantum information processing. The ability of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) to detect single photons with unprecedented efficiency, short dead time, and high time resolution over a large frequency range enabled major...

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors: A perspective on evolution, state-of-the-art, future developments, and applications

Two decades after their demonstration, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have become indispensable tools for quantum photonics as well as for many other photon-starved applications. This invention has not only led to a burgeoning academic field with a wide range of applications but also triggered industrial efforts....

Superconducting single-photon detectors get hot

High-Quality Amorphous Silicon Carbide for Hybrid Photonic Integration Deposited at a Low Temperature

Integrated photonic platforms have proliferated in recent years, each demonstrating its unique strengths and shortcomings. Given the processing incompatibilities of different platforms, a formidable challenge in the field of integrated photonics still remains for combining the strengths of different optical materials in one hybrid integrated...

Efficient mid-infrared single-photon detection using superconducting NbTiN nanowires with high time resolution in a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler

Shortly after their inception, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) became the leading quantum light detection technology. With the capability of detecting single-photons with near-unity efficiency, high time resolution, low dark count rate, and fast recovery time, SNSPDs outperform conventional single-photon detection...

Efficient Single-Photon Detection with 7.7 ps Time Resolution for Photon-Correlation Measurements

A broad range of scientific and industrial disciplines require precise optical measurements at very low light levels. Single-photon detectors combining high efficiency and high time resolution are pivotal in such experiments. By using relatively thick films of NbTiN (8-11 nm) and improving the pattern fidelity of the nanostructure of the...

Multimode-fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with high detection efficiency and time resolution

In the past decade, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have gradually become an indispensable part of any demanding quantum optics experiment. Until now, most SNSPDs have been coupled to single-mode fibers. SNSPDs coupled to multimode fibers have shown promising efficiencies but have yet to achieve high time resolution....

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors operating at temperature from 4 to 7 K

We experimentally investigate the performance of NbTiN superconducting nanowire single photon detectors above the base temperature of a conventional Gifford-McMahon cryocooler (2.5 K). By tailoring design and thickness (8 - 13 nm) of the detectors, high performance, high operating temperature, single-photon detection from the visible to...

Optimizing the stoichiometry of ultrathin NbTiN films for high-performance superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

The requirements in quantum optics experiments for high single-photon detection efficiency, low timing jitter, low dark count rate and short dead time have been fulfilled with the development of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Although they offer a detection efficiency above 90%, achieving a high time resolution in devices...

Nanowire-based integrated photonics for quantum information and quantum sensing

At the core of quantum photonic information processing and sensing, two major building pillars are single-photon emitters and single-photon detectors. In this review, we systematically summarize the working theory, material platform, fabrication process, and game-changing applications enabled by state-of-the-art quantum dots in nanowire...