Quantum sensing using heavy-fermion CeCoIn5 thin films

The development of superconducting single-photon detectors has been driven by the search for materials combining large kinetic inductance with scalable device architectures. Here, we demonstrate a new platform for Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) based on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown heavy-fermion thin films of CeCoIn5. The large effective mass and high atomic number of this material naturally enhance both kinetic inductance and photon absorption, enabling broadband single-photon detection from sub-THz to γ-ray energies. We further explore how the nodal superconductivity and heavy quasiparticle dynamics in CeCoIn5 influence microwave response and non-equilibrium behavior, offering new insight into their impact on superconducting device performance and detection. Our results establish heavy-fermion thin films as a natural materials platform for high-sensitivity superconducting quantum sensors.