Superconducting Single Particle Detectors (SSPD)

Superconducting Nanowire Single Particle Detectors (SNSPDs) have proven to be outstanding devices for quantum optics, offering

  • Near-100% detection efficiency for wavelengths even in the telecom range
  • Ultrafast speed with jitter below 10 ps
  • Compatibility with cryogenic experiments

Throughout the last decade, our QNP group in Vienna had become interested in the question, how to best use these quantum sensors in mass spectrometry, molecular and atomic beam physics as well as matter-wave interferometry. 

After initial promising tests with the Gol'tsman group in 2009 and 2012, we have teamed up with European leaders in the field to form the EU FET Open consortium on Superconducting Mass Detection and Molecular Analysis (SuperMaMa). This successful collaboration with Single Quantum Delft, EPFL Lausanne, MS Vision Almere and University of Basel allowed us to demonstrate   

  • SNSPD as highly sensitive detectors for quadrupole mass spectrometry with low forward energy, allowing to detect even lowly charged high-mass proteins, which will become imoprtant for native mass spectrometry [2]
  • SNSPDs as near-100% efficient detectors for slow neutral molecules with kinetic energy down to a 2-5 eV [1].
  • SNSPD as near-100% efficient detectors for internal atomic states, here demonstrated for metastable states of neutral noble gas atoms.


References