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

_Monday, August 24, 2026 at 6:30 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 - latest science and technology news stories](https://phys.org/news/2026-08-supersized-quantum-sensors-faint-photons.html)

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