title: High-efficiency WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for quantum state engineering in the near infrared.
abstract: We report on high-efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on amorphous tungsten silicide and optimized at 1064 nm. At an operating temperature of 1.8 K, we demonstrated a 93% system detection efficiency at this wavelength with a dark noise of a few counts per second. Combined with cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric downconversion, this fiber-coupled detector enabled us to generate narrowband single photons with a heralding efficiency greater than 90% and a high spectral brightness of 0.6×104photons/(s·mW·MHz). Beyond single-photon generation at large rate, such high-efficiency detectors open the path to efficient multiple-photon heralding and complex quantum state engineering.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Le Jeannic
authors.forename: Varun B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavaillès
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marsili
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: Sae Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laurat