Low noise superconducting single photon detectors on silicon

Abstract

We have fabricated superconducting nanowire single photon detectors made of NbTiN on a silicon substrate. This type of material reduces the dark count rate by a factor of 10 compared to identical NbN detectors, enabling single photon detection with unprecedented signal to noise ratio: we report a noise equivalent power of 10−19 W Hz−1/2 at 4.2 K. The compatibility of our superconducting device with silicon enables its integration with complex structures.