High-efficiency, high-count-rate 2D superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array

Understand

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are the current leading technology for the detection of single-photons in the near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral regions, due to record performance in terms of detection efficiency, low dark count rate, minimal timing jitter, and high maximum count rates.

• The various geometry and design parameters of SNSPDs are often carefully tailored to specific applications, resulting in challenges in optimising each performance characteristic without adversely impacting others.
• In particular, when scaling to larger array formats, the key challenge is to manage the heat load generated by the many readout cables in the cryogenic cooling system.
• Here we demonstrate a practical, self-contained 64-pixel SNSPD array system which exhibits high performance of all operational parameters, for use in the strategically important SWIR spectral region.