Amplitude-Multiplexed readout of single photon detectors based on superconducting nanowires.

The realization of large-scale photonic circuit for quantum optics experiments at telecom wavelengths requires an increasing number of integrated detectors. Superconductive nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) can be easily integrated on chip and they can efficiently detect the light propagating inside waveguides. The thermal budget of cryostats poses a limit on the maximum number of elements that can be integrated on the same chip due to the thermal impact of the readout electronics. In this paper, we propose and implement a novel scheme able for an efficient reading of several SNSPDs with only one readout port, enabling the realization of photonic circuits with a large number of modes.