Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have shown to be promising in applications such as quantum communication and computation, quantum optics, imaging, metrology and sensing. They offer the advantages of a low dark count rate, high efficiency, a broadband response, a short time jitter, a high repetition rate, and no need for gated-mode operation. Several SNSPD designs have been proposed in literature. Here, we discuss the so-called parallel nanowires configurations. They were introduced with the aim of improving some SNSPD property like detection efficiency, speed, signal-to-noise ratio, or photon number resolution. Although apparently similar, the various parallel designs are not the same. There is no one design that can improve the mentioned properties all together. In fact, each design presents its own characteristics with specific advantages and drawbacks. In this work, we will discuss the various designs outlining peculiarities and possible improvements.

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Mikkel Ejrnaes, Loredana Parlato, Alessandro Gaggero, Francesco Mattioli, Roberto Leoni, Giampiero Pepe, and Roberto Cristiano, "SNSPD with parallel nanowires (Conference Presentation)," Proc. SPIE 10229, Photon Counting Applications 2017, 1022904 (Presented at SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics: April 24, 2017; Published: 8 June 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2267490.5463398270001.