Quantum Efficiency Characterization and Optimization of a Tungsten Transition-Edge Sensor for ALPS II

The ALPS II experiment, Any Light Particle Search II at DESY in Hamburg, will look for sub-eV mass new fundamental bosons (e.g., axion-like particles, hidden photons, and other weakly interacting sub-eV particles) in the next years by means of a light-shining-through-wall setup. The ALPS II photosensor is a tungsten transition-edge sensor (W-TES) optimized for 1064 nm photons. This TES, operated at 80 mK, has already allowed single infrared photon detections as well as non-dispersive spectroscopy with very low background rates. The demonstrated quantum efficiency for such TES is up to 95 % (1064 nm) as has been already demonstrated by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. A back-to-back measurement of the ALPS TES quantum efficiency using a calibrated charge-coupled device camera has lead to a first estimation of 30 %. Improvement methods are discussed.