Advanced Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors for Photonic Quantum Technologies

International audienceIn the field of quantum technologies, the superconducting nanowire single photon detector(SNSPD) is nowadays well recognized as a key enabling device. SNSPDs combine high detectionefficiency in the visible and near IR spectral ranges, timing jitter as low as 10 ps, low dark count rate(90% [1]) andpolarization-insensitive [2,3] detection efficiency. We consider designs based on the integration of thenanowire within an optical microcavity (compatible with the plug-and-play configuration) or on topof an optical waveguide (preferred approach for integration in photonic circuits). I will finally discussnovel application prospects of such detectors, with emphasis on photon-number resolution