Low-noise single-photon counting superconducting nanowire detectors at infrared wavelengths up to 29 $\mu$m

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the extension of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors to 29 μm wavelengths, achieving high efficiency and low noise, enabling new applications in infrared science and technology.

Contribution

First demonstration of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors operating at 29 μm with saturated efficiency and low dark counts.

Findings

Achieved saturated detection efficiency from 10 to 29 μm

Dark count rates below 0.1 counts per second

Extended spectral sensitivity of superconducting nanowire detectors

Abstract

We report on the extension of the spectral sensitivity of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors to a wavelength of 29 $\mu$m. This represents the first demonstration of a time correlated single-photon counting detector at these long infrared wavelengths. We achieve saturated internal detection efficiency from 10 to 29 $\mu$m, whilst maintaining dark count rates below 0.1 counts per second. Extension of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors to this spectral range provides low noise and high timing resolution photon counting detection, effectively providing a new class of single-photon sensitive detector for these wavelengths. These detectors are important for applications such as exoplanet spectroscopy, infrared astrophysics, physical chemistry, remote sensing and direct dark-matter detection.