Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector Arrays for the Near- to Mid-Infrared

Abstract

Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) are excellent devices for the analysis of faint light from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. Recent developments push their broad wavelength bandwidth further into the mid-infrared towards 20 μm and enable new areas of application such as astronomy and chemistry. SNSPDs could play a major role in the field of exoplanet spectroscopy where absorption lines of atmospheric components in the mid-infrared contain a wealth of information. In this work, we present current progress towards optimized detectors for mid-infrared wavelengths and their integration in arrays with the ultimate goal of demonstrating a large scale, single-photon-sensitive mid-infrared camera.