Reed Foster
Reed Foster’s doctoral research focuses on developing superconducting nanowire circuits for integrated processing and readout of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. These detectors offer best-in-class performance for detection of weak signals, a key criteria for quantum networking and long-distance free-space optical communication. Conventionally, these detector signals are processed with conventional silicon-based electronics, which presents an integration challenge for large-scale arrays used for multiplexed communication links or imagers. Foster’s approach to this challenge is to develop new on-chip circuits based on superconducting switches that can digitize and process the detector signals. This would advance the capabilities of such detector arrays, allowing signal processing to be brought closer to the sensor, reducing integration complexity, power, and latency of systems built around these superconducting detectors. Foster is supervised by Prof. Karl Berggren in the Quantum Nanostructures and Nanofabrication group in the Research Laboratory of Electronics.