Towards single-photon spectroscopy in the mid-infrared using superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are excellent single-photon detectors from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared. System detection efficiencies of ~ 90% are typical, with jitters on the order of 100 ps and maximum count rates of a few MHz. Recently we have begun exploring the use of SNSPDs for the detection of single mid-infrared photons in the 2 - 11 μm wavelength range for applications in astronomy and chemical sensing. In particular, we are developing arrays of SNSPDs which could potentially be used for exoplanet spectroscopy in order to identify elements in the atmospheres of exoplanets outside our solar system. Improved sensitivity for these low-energy photons has been made possible by the recent development of amorphous WSi which is now used in the fabrication of superconducting nanowire detectors. I will discuss the optimization of these detectors to enhance their detection efficiency in the midinfrared, with the ultimate goal of building a single-photon focal plane array of SNSPDs in the 2 - 11 μm band.

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