# NIST reports wider photon detector design with sharply fewer dark counts

_Published Monday, August 24, 2026 at 10:07 PM EDT · Science, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![NIST reports wider photon detector design with sharply fewer dark counts — Primary](https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/hires/2026/nist-researchers-super.jpg)

NIST researchers reported a superconducting single-photon detector architecture that uses superconducting rails to redistribute current in a central wire.

In an Optica paper, the group said it expanded the wire to one-tenth of a millimeter, more than 100 times wider than typical devices, while reaching dark-count levels a billion times lower. The architecture is intended to simplify fabrication and support larger detectors for faint-light applications.

NIST said further testing is needed to determine whether wide devices can match the 98% efficiency of nanoscale detectors.

## Sources

- [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-08-supersized-quantum-sensors-faint-photons.html)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/DLCHbFkhVPblvcCw4c4ZHx
Published: 2026-08-25T02:07:05.130Z
Story chronology: 2026-08-24T22:30:01.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-09T12:15:53.314Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)