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Superconducting Transition-Edge Sensors Optimized for High-Efficiency Photon-Number Resolving Detectors

Adriana Lita, National Institute Of Standards and Technology (NIST) Boulder

(Session 9 : Saturday from 2:45pm-3:15pm)

Abstract. Collaborators: B. Calkins, N. Tomlin, I. Vayshenker, L. A. Pellouchoud, A. J. Miller, S. Nam Ideal single photon detectors for quantum information applications should operate at wavelengths that span visible through infrared with very high quantum efficiency, have photon-number-resolving capabilities, high speed, and very low dark-count rates. Currently no single-photon detector technology is able to provide a detector that achieves all the properties that would make such an ideal detector. Superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) however, currently have almost all the required properties, except high speed operation. TESs are microcalorimeters operating at cryogenic temperatures, that have the ability to unambiguously resolve the photon number in a pulse of light and can be optimized for high quantum efficiency from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared with essentially no dark counts. TES optimization for high quantum efficiency at particular wavelengths from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared is achieved by designing multilayer structures that enhance the absorption of light into the active device material, and efficient self-alignment to optical fibers by silicon chip micromachining. We will describe the details of the design of the detectors as well as packaging of the detectors to achieve system detection efficiencies approaching 99%.