UV-sensitive superconducting nanowire single photon detectors for integration in an ion trap

Opt Express. 2017 Apr 17;25(8):8705-8720. doi: 10.1364/OE.25.008705.

Abstract

We demonstrate superconducting nanowire single photon detectors with 76 ± 4% system detection efficiency at a wavelength of 315 nm and an operating temperature of 3.2 K, with a background count rate below 1 count per second at saturated detection efficiency. We propose integrating these detectors into planar surface electrode radio-frequency Paul traps for use in trapped ion quantum information processing. We operate detectors integrated into test ion trap structures at 3.8 K both with and without typical radio-frequency trapping electric fields. The trapping fields reduce system detection efficiency by 9%, but do not increase background count rates.