Superconducting nanowire detectors at JPL: Progress towards far-infrared single-photon counting detector arrays

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have developed over the last 20 years to become the first choice for experiments in quantum sensing, optics and communications as well as enabling multiple experiments in fundamental physics. The majority of this work has been in the short to near-infrared but the underlying detection mechanism can, in principle, extend deep in to the infrared spectrum. In this talk I will outline several key projects towards single-photon counting arrays at mid/far-infrared wavelengths as long as 30 µm. I will discuss our results on reducing the detection energy threshold, scaling up to arrays and applications of such detectors such as exoplanet spectroscopy and direct dark matter detection. I will also present results from an ultra-high count rate and low timing jitter detector (1.5 Gcps at sub-100 ps jitter) architecture for quantum communications and a real-world deployment of an SNSPD array for deep space optical communications with the Psyche spacecraft.