Application of a superconductor detector (SNSPD) for infrared atmospheric lidar measurements

Infrared lidar systems are powerful tools in many environmental applications where high accuracy level, real time observations and eye safe operations are essential. The main challenge for infrared lidar systems rests on the lack of high-performance detectors operating at such wavelengths. A promising solution is represented by Superconducting Nanostrip Single Photon Detectors (SNSPDs), thanks to their optimal efficiency and noise at infrared wavelengths with a system detection efficiency close to one, a dark count rate of less than 1 count/s as well as few nanoseconds dead time and picosecond time resolution. Here, we report on the use of SNSPDs for atmospheric lidar observations at 1064 nm and compare the results with those obtained simultaneously at 532 nm using a photomultiplier (PMT) as detector. Our experimental findings show the potentiality of SNSPDs for future lidar applications in the infrared domain.