Integrated superconducting nanowire digital photon detector

A method of detecting a photon, comprising:

• providing a superconducting quantum interference device, comprising two Josephson junctions within a superconducting inductive loop, and a superconducting nanowire, configured to absorb a photon to cause a temporary and localized decrease in a critical current of the superconducting nanowire, the superconducting nanowire and the superconducting quantum interference device being integrated and configured to operate within a common environment;
• generating a voltage bias across the superconducting nanowire and the superconducting quantum interference device with a bias circuit, the bias voltage causing a current through the superconducting nanowire and the two Josephson junctions in parallel, wherein the critical current of the superconducting nanowire is above a critical current of the two Josephson junctions;
• exposing the superconducting nanowire to the photon, absorbing the photon by the superconducting nanowire, causing the critical current in the superconducting nanowire to drop below the current from the bias voltage, and generating a voltage pulse across the superconducting nanowire.