Abstract
In this paper, we investigateda self-developed sine wave gated single-photon detector (SPD) for 1550 nm wavelength primary for quantum key distribution (QKD) usage. We studied the influence of DC bias voltage and AC gate amplitude on the SPD’s functional parameters and presented a simple and effective algorithm for its optimization. Such optimization showed practical benefits while SPD was set up on the QKD device. We admitted that the dark count rate decreases with an increase in gating voltage with fixed photon detection efficiency. We observed the charge persistence effect in sine-gated SPDs, which previously had been observed only at square-pulses gated SPDs, and showed that this effect is limiting for infinity increasing gate amplitude.
Highlights
Single photon detector (SPD) is a device, that is sensitive to single photons with a specific wavelength
We explore the influence of gating parameters on photon detection efficiency (P DE), dark count rate (DCR), and afterpulse probability (AP) to make some recommendations about tuning the InGaAs/InP single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) biasing scheme to increase the efficiency of a whole quantum key distribution (QKD) device
If we have a similar DCR with constant P DE with different operational parameters, we will choose the optimal point according to AP
Summary
Single photon detector (SPD) is a device, that is sensitive to single photons with a specific wavelength. APD is designed for work in linear mode when it’s biased less than breakdown voltage, and to be sensitive for many-photon optical signals. SPAD is designed for work in Geiger mode, when its bias periodically rises higher than breakdown voltage, and to be sensitive for single photons. At the very beginning of the development of single-photon detectors, APD was used to detect single photons [12]. Such devices have low detection efficiency and high noise. Nowadays, such use of avalanche photodiodes is rare
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