Large Area SNSPD for Lidar Measurements in the Infrared

In this work we present the results of the fabrication and characterization of a large area Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detector (SNSPD). A particular geometry was adopted to enhance the coupling with the Lidar system MALIA (Multiwavelength Lidar Apparatus), a setup used for atmospheric aerosols observations from ultraviolet to infrared. The devices realized are very promising as they exhibit a very low dead time despite the large sensitive area.