Title | Low-noise photon counting above 100 x 10(6) counts per second with a high-efficiency reach-through single-photon avalanche diode system |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2021 |
Authors | M. A. Wayne, J. C. Bienfang, and A. L. Migdall |
Journal | Appl. Phys. Lett. |
Volume | 118 |
ISSN | 0003-6951 |
Abstract | We demonstrate a method that allows a high-efficiency single-photon-avalanche diode (SPAD) with a thick absorption region ({\textgreater}10 mu m) to count single photons at rates significantly higher than previously demonstrated. We apply large ({\textgreater}30V) AC bias gates to the SPAD at 1GHz and detect minute avalanches with a discrimination threshold of 5(1) mV by means of radio frequency interferometry. We measure a reduction by a factor of approximate to 500 in the average charge per avalanche when compared to operation in its traditional active-quenching module and a relative increase in {\textgreater}19% in detection efficiency at 850nm. The reduction in charge strongly suppresses self-heating effects in the diode that can degrade performance at high avalanche rates. We show that the single-photon detection system maintains high efficiency at count rates exceeding 10(8) s(-1). |
DOI | 10.1063/5.0041984 |