Superconducting photon detector

Abstract

An example multi-element photon detector includes a waveguide configured to guide a set of photons from a photon source, wherein the waveguide includes (i) a first coupling region, and (ii) a second coupling region. The example detector also includes a first photon detector coupled to the first coupling region and configured to detect individual photons from the first coupling region, the first photon detector arranged to have a first coupling efficiency with the waveguide. The example detector further includes a second photon detector coupled to the second coupling region and configured to detect individual photons from the second coupling region, the second photon detector arranged to have a second coupling efficiency with the waveguide, wherein the second coupling efficiency is greater than the first coupling efficiency such that the multi-element photon detector has a first probability of absorption across the first and second single photon detectors.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.