Efficient single-photon detection with excellent timing resolution at mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths has been achieved with superconducting nanowire detectors operated in a practical cryogenic system. Quantum technology, remote sensing, and life science applications tremendously benefit from superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) that offer high detection efficiency, speed, and timing accuracy. So far, SNSPD development had focused on the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. However, novel perspectives arise for applications in the MIR, especially at wavelengths around 2 μm, where innovative light sources, optical fiber solutions, and high-speed modulation techniques enable next generation telecommunication and quantum communication implementations.

Here, J. Chang and coauthors show how SNSPDs extend optical measurement capabilities for cases of practically relevant use into the MIR spectrum. While proof-of-principle experiments had shown indications of SNSPDs’ potential for MIR applications, Chang et al. achieve a high system detection efficiency (up to 73 %) and a mere 14 ps jitter performance at a wavelength of 2 μm through the careful design and material composition control of superconducting nanowires. Importantly, this feature was achieved in a compact cryogenic system, nowadays customary in many optics laboratories. In explicitly considering detector performance under real-world operating conditions, the authors make a convincing case for the practical applicability of the technology in a promising, previously poorly accessible wavelength range.

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