UV-sensitive superconducting nanowire single photon detectors for integration in an ion trap

TL;DR

This paper presents the development and testing of UV-sensitive superconducting nanowire single photon detectors with high efficiency and low background noise, suitable for integration into ion traps for quantum computing.

Contribution

It introduces superconducting nanowire detectors optimized for UV wavelengths and demonstrates their integration into ion trap structures for quantum information applications.

Findings

76% detection efficiency at 315 nm

Background count rate below 1 cps

Detectors operate effectively at 3.8 K with trapping fields

Abstract

We demonstrate superconducting nanowire single photon detectors with 76 +/- 4 % system detection efficiency at a wavelength of 315 nm and an operating temperature of 3.2 K, with a background count rate below 1 count per second at saturated detection efficiency. We propose integrating these detectors into planar surface electrode radio-frequency Paul traps for use in trapped ion quantum information processing. We operate detectors integrated into test ion trap structures at 3.8 K both with and without typical radio-frequency trapping electric fields. The trapping fields reduce system detection efficiency by 9 %, but do not increase background count rates.