Dual Mode Calorimetric Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors

Hsin-Yeh Wu^1*, Stathes Paganis^1,3, Yu-Jung Lu^1,2, Feng-Yang Tsai^1,2, Jia-Wern Chen², Dimitra Tsionou¹, Shu-Xiao Liu¹, Pisin Chen³, Xavier-François Navick⁴, Jean-François Glicenstein⁴, Boris Tuchming⁴, Marc Besançon⁴

¹Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
²Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
³Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
⁴CEA-IRFU, Paris-Saclay University, Gif sur Yvette cedex, France

* Presenter:Hsin-Yeh Wu, email:wuhsinyeh@ntu.edu.tw

We present a versatile dual-mode superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) that operates in both traditional Geiger and innovative calorimetric modes, enabling it to function as a precise event counter or an energy-sensitive detector. In Geiger mode, at temperatures well below the critical temperature (Tc), the detector operates with minimal dark count rates (DCR) and high timing precision, making it ideal for single-photon counting. In calorimetric mode, at temperatures just below Tc, photon-induced Joule heating allows the SNSPD to measure photon energy, displaying sensitivity to photon number with recovery times as fast as 560 ps. This dual capability enables precise timing and energy measurements, making the SNSPD a compelling choice for high-speed spectroscopy, quantum information, and applications that require both photon counting and energy resolution. Future work aims to enhance energy resolution and noise reduction through improvements in nanowire design and cryogenic amplification.

Keywords: SNSPD, Quantum Sensor, Cryogenics Microcalorimeter