Issue 3, 2023

Superconducting single-photon detectors in the mid-infrared for physical chemistry and spectroscopy

Abstract

Applications of vibrational spectroscopy throughout the field of physical chemistry are limited by detectors with poor temporal resolution, low detection efficiency, and high background levels. Up to now, the field has relied upon detectors based on semiconducting materials with small bandgaps, which unavoidably leads to a compromise between good spectral response and noise at long wavelengths. However, a revolution in mid-infrared light detection is underway based on the interactions of photons with superconducting materials, which function under fundamentally different operating principles. Superconducting detectors were first used to detect light at shorter wavelengths. However, recent developments in their sensitivity toward mid-infrared wavelengths up to 10 μm provide new opportunities for applications in molecular science, such as infrared emission experiments, exoplanet spectroscopy and single molecule microscopy. In this tutorial review, we provide background information needed for the non-expert in superconducting light detection to apply these devices in the field of mid-infrared molecular spectroscopy. We present and compare the detection mechanisms and current developments of three types of superconducting detectors: superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), transition edge sensors (TESs), and microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs). We also highlight existing applications of SNSPDs for laser-induced infrared fluorescence experiments and discuss their potential for other molecular spectroscopy applications. Ultimately, superconducting infrared detectors have the potential to approach the sensitivity and characteristics of established single-photon detectors operating in the UV/Vis region, which have existed for almost a century and become an indispensable tool within the field of physical chemistry.

Graphical abstract: Superconducting single-photon detectors in the mid-infrared for physical chemistry and spectroscopy

Article information

Article type
Tutorial Review
Submitted
16 Jun 2022
First published
17 Jan 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2023,52, 921-941

Superconducting single-photon detectors in the mid-infrared for physical chemistry and spectroscopy

J. A. Lau, V. B. Verma, D. Schwarzer and A. M. Wodtke, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2023, 52, 921 DOI: 10.1039/D1CS00434D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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