SPAD Detectors Research Articles

Reduction of afterpulse and dark count effects on SPAD detectors using processing methods

Single-photon detector is a device that can detect fragile light signals such as photons. Noise is one of the major problems of Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) in quantum communication and other applications. The two main noises in SPAD are afterpulse and dark count rate. Afterpulse is one of the most critical challenges of SPAD type InGaAs at 1550 nm wavelength. Several solutions have been presented to reduce noise. One of the most important methods presented is based on pulse gate. Pulse gate is effective in noise reduction by limiting SPAD operation time. Self-differentiating and up-conversion methods are also used in telecommunication wavelength SPADs to reduce noise, which have high implementation costs due to their complex structure. In this paper, we present a novel method for SPAD noise reduction. In this method, the time of SPAD output pulses is recorded and checked. The processor detects photon pulses and noise with a new algorithm. Noise pulses are removed, and photon pulses remain. This method is suitable for some Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols that are simultaneous sender and receiver. It cannot be used in LiDAR and other similar asynchronous applications. The noise reduction method presented in this paper can be used for all types of single photon detectors and at different wavelengths. Also, this method can be used simultaneously with other noise reduction methods and it greatly reduces the amount of noise.

Experimental Analysis of Coherent Velocity Measurement Based on Near-infrared Single-element SPAD Detector

Experimental Analysis of Coherent Velocity Measurement Based on Near-infrared Single-element SPAD Detector

A Wireless, Battery-Powered Probe Based on a Dual-Tier CMOS SPAD Array for Charged Particle Sensing

A compact probe for charged particle imaging, with potential applications in source activity mapping and radio-guided surgery was designed and tested. The development of this technology holds significant implications for medical imaging, offering healthcare professionals accurate and efficient tools for diagnoses and treatments. To fulfill the portability requirements of these applications, the probe was designed for battery operation and wireless communication with a PC. The core sensor is a dual-layer CMOS SPAD detector, fabricated using 150 nm technology, which uses overlapping cells to produce a coincidence signal and reduce the dark count rate (DCR). The sensor is managed and interfaced with a microcontroller, and custom firmware was developed to facilitate communication with the sensor. The performance of the probe was evaluated by characterizing the on-board SPAD detector in terms of the DCR, and the results were consistent with the characterization measurements taken on the same chip samples using a purposely developed benchtop setup.

Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy Beyond the Water Peak Enabled by Cross-Correlation of the Signals From InGaAs/InP Single Photon Detectors.

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is an optical technique that allows for the non-invasive measurement of blood flow. Recent work has shown that utilizing longer wavelengths beyond the traditional NIR range provides a significant improvement to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, current detectors both sensitive to longer wavelengths and suitable for clinical applications (InGaAs/InP SPADs) suffer from suboptimal afterpulsing and dark noise characteristics. To overcome these barriers, we introduce a cross correlation method to more accurately recover blood flow information using InGaAs/InP SPADs. Two InGaAs/InP SPAD detectors were used for during in vitro and in vivo DCS measurements. Cross correlation of the photon streams from each detector was performed to calculate the correlation function. Detector operating parameters were varied to determine parameters which maximized measurement SNR.State-space modeling was performed to determine the detector characteristics at each operating point. Evaluation of detector characteristics was performed across the range of operating conditions. Modeling the effects of the detector noise on the correlation function provided a method to correct the distortion of the correlation curve, yielding accurate recovery of flow information as confirmed by a reference detector. Through a combination of cross-correlation of the signals from two detectors, model-based characterization of detector response, and optimization of detector operating parameters, the method allows for the accurate estimation of the true blood flow index. This work presents a method by which DCS can be performed at longer NIR wavelengths with existing detector technology, taking advantage of the increased SNR.

PCA-based real-time single-photon 3D imaging method

The single photon lidar (SPL) system can collect data within a wide range, which is widely used in multispectral depth imaging and underwater depth imaging. However, SPL systems are subject to solar noise and dark count returns, resulting in poor quality of image construction. Therefore, a high-efficiency 3D imaging technology is needed to improve the performance of the SPL system. To address this problem, this paper develops a new short-range single-photon three-dimensional imaging method with both high quality and low complexity. In this paper, we use a 400 × 100 SPAD detector and an 850 nm laser source composed of VCSEL array to reconstruct the 3D image of a target within 5 m. By applying principal component analysis (PCA), the complexity of the proposed method can be reduced by 20 times compared with existing algorithms without compromising imaging quality, making the proposed method a promising candidate to be applied to a wide range of fields such as consumer electronics.

Direct integration of micro-LEDs and a SPAD detector on a silicon CMOS chip for data communications and time-of-flight ranging.

We present integration of singulated micron-sized light emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) directly onto a silicon CMOS drive chip using a transfer printing method. An 8x8 micro-LED device array with individual control over each pixel is demonstrated with modulation bandwidths up to 50 MHz, limited by the large modulation depth of the driver chip. The 2 kHz frame rate CMOS driver also incorporates a Single Photon Avalanche Diode device thus allowing detection and transmission functionality on a single integrated chip. Visible light communications at data rates up to 1 Mbps, and time-of-flight ranging with cm-scale resolution are demonstrated using this hybrid integrated system.

Zero-error attacks on a quantum key distribution FSO system

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method for exchanging keys between two parties (Alice and Bob) with an absolute level of security in the ideal scenario. QKD systems are vulnerable to hacking through secondary emissions of photons by SPAD detectors, known as backflash. In this work, we derive an information leakage probability model for the scenario of QKD in a free space communication (FSO) system, and suggest a method for its minimization.

Time-Gated Raman Spectroscopy for Quantitative Determination of Solid-State Forms of Fluorescent Pharmaceuticals.

Raman spectroscopy is widely used for quantitative pharmaceutical analysis, but a common obstacle to its use is sample fluorescence masking the Raman signal. Time-gating provides an instrument-based method for rejecting fluorescence through temporal resolution of the spectral signal and allows Raman spectra of fluorescent materials to be obtained. An additional practical advantage is that analysis is possible in ambient lighting. This study assesses the efficacy of time-gated Raman spectroscopy for the quantitative measurement of fluorescent pharmaceuticals. Time-gated Raman spectroscopy with a 128 × (2) × 4 CMOS SPAD detector was applied for quantitative analysis of ternary mixtures of solid-state forms of the model drug, piroxicam (PRX). Partial least-squares (PLS) regression allowed quantification, with Raman-active time domain selection (based on visual inspection) improving performance. Model performance was further improved by using kernel-based regularized least-squares (RLS) regression with greedy feature selection in which the data use in both the Raman shift and time dimensions was statistically optimized. Overall, time-gated Raman spectroscopy, especially with optimized data analysis in both the spectral and time dimensions, shows potential for sensitive and relatively routine quantitative analysis of photoluminescent pharmaceuticals during drug development and manufacturing.

32ps timing jitter with a fully integrated front end circuit and single photon avalanche diodes

Excellent performance of custom technology SPAD detectors have been widely demonstrated in recent years. Low-jitter timing measurements with these detectors require front end electronics able to sense the avalanche current at a very low level when the multiplication process is still confined in a very small area around the photon absorption point. Best in class results (35 ps full width at half maximum) have been obtained with discrete circuits not suitable to be used in densely integrated systems of SPAD arrays required by modern demanding applications. A new fully integrated front end able to read out the avalanche current with a timing jitter as low as 32 ps and suitable to be exploited with SPAD arrays is presented.

The information of high-dimensional time-bin encoded photons

We determine the shared information that can be extracted from time-bin entangled photons using frame encoding. We consider photons generated by a general down-conversion source and also model losses, dark counts and the effects of multiple photons within each frame. Furthermore, we describe a procedure for including other imperfections such as after-pulsing, detector dead-times and jitter. The results are illustrated by deriving analytic expressions for the maximum information that can be extracted from high-dimensional time-bin entangled photons generated by a spontaneous parametric down conversion. A key finding is that under realistic conditions and using standard SPAD detectors one can still choose frame size so as to extract over 10 bits per photon. These results are thus useful for experiments on high-dimensional quantum-key distribution system.

On Laser Ranging Based on High-Speed/Energy Laser Diode Pulses and Single-Photon Detection Techniques

This paper discusses the construction principles and performance of a pulsed time-of-flight (TOF) laser radar based on high-speed (FWHM $\sim$ 100 ps) and high-energy ( $\sim$ 1 nJ) optical transmitter pulses produced with a specific laser diode working in an “enhanced gain-switching” regime and based on single-photon detection in the receiver. It is shown by analysis and experiments that single-shot precision at the level of 2…3 cm is achievable. The effective measurement rate can exceed 10 kHz to a noncooperative target (20% reflectivity) at a distance of $> 50 \hbox{m}$ , with an effective receiver aperture size of $2.5 \hbox{cm}^{2} $ . The effect of background illumination is analyzed. It is shown that the gating of the SPAD detector is an effective means to avoid the blocking of the receiver in a high-level background illumination case. A brief comparison with pulsed TOF laser radars employing linear detection techniques is also made.

Fluorescence suppression in Raman spectroscopy using a time-gated CMOS SPAD

A Raman spectrometer technique is described that aims at suppressing the fluorescence background typical of Raman spectra. The sample is excited with a high power (65W), short (300ps) laser pulse and the time position of each of the Raman scattered photons with respect to the excitation is measured with a CMOS SPAD detector and an accurate time-to-digital converter at each spectral point. It is shown by means of measurements performed on an olive oil sample that the fluorescence background can be greatly suppressed if the sample response is recorded only for photons coinciding with the laser pulse. A further correction in the residual fluorescence baseline can be achieved using the measured fluorescence tails at each of the spectral points.

3 nJ, 100 ps laser pulses generated with an asymmetric waveguide laser diode for a single-photon avalanche diode time-of-flight (SPAD TOF) rangefinder application

An asymmetric waveguide laser diode with a thick active layer operated with enhanced gain switching is shown to be able to produce ∼100 ps, ∼25 W optical pulses in fundamental transverse mode with ∼15 A, ∼1.5 ns injection current pulses. A pulsed time-of-flight distance measurement demonstration utilizing this laser diode and a SPAD detector indicates centimetre-level precision and compensated accuracy from uncooperative targets at tens to hundreds of metres in a measurement time of a fraction of a second.

New Technologies for Submillimeter Laser Ranging

We are presenting the work progress and recent results in a development and construction of new technologies for submillimeter laser ranging and picosecond accuracy laser time transfer. The key hardware components: the Start detector and discriminator, the echo signal detector, the timing device and signal cablings were studied in detail. The new devices have been designed, built and tested in our lab. To minimize the systematic errors the photon counting approach has been selected. The ranging chain has been designed and optimized with a goal of single shot resolution of several millimeters and sub-millimeter normal points and overall system stability. The Start detector and discriminator are constructed as a single device to optimize their matching and maintain stability. The NPET timing system based on surface acoustic wave interpolator has a resolution of 800 fs and 4 fs long term stability. The echo detector is based on innovated SPAD detector optimized for high repetition Gate rate and minimal dark count rate. Both the detectors output signals have ultrafast slew rates < 200 ps / 1 V. In connection to the 6 GHz bandwidth of the timing system inputs these fast slew rates improves the timing and temperature stability along with the RF interference immunity. The new low temperature drift signal cables have been selected, tested and used. The new hardware was tested in indoor calibration experiments. We have achieved the single shot resolution of 3 mm rms. The temperature and temporal stability of the individual components is excellent. The drift is typically below 200 fs/K for each contributor. The overall temperature drift of the entire laser ranging chain is below 500 fs/ K. The long term stability of the ground target calibration is better than ± 800 fs within 3 days. During this period the environment temperature changed by more than 4°C. In the sense of time deviation Tdev the stability of 300 fs was achieved. The presented components will enable to carry out laser ranging with submillimeter normal points stability and reproducibility. The accuracy of the “ranging machine” based on these devices will reach sub-mm values, as well. The concept and construction will be presented along with the achieved devices parameters.

Resonant-cavity-enhanced single photon avalanche diodes on double silicon-on-insulator substrates

We report the first resonant-cavity-enhanced single photon avalanche diode (RCE SPAD) fabricated on a reflecting silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The substrate incorporates a two period distributed Bragg reflector fabricated using a commercially available double SOI process. The RCE SPAD detectors have peak photon detection efficiencies ranging from 42% at 780 nm to 34% at 850 nm and an excellent photon timing resolution of 35 ps full width at half maximum. Despite the higher defectivity of double SOI substrates compared to standard silicon substrates, RCE SPADs with 20 µm diameter exhibit a fairly low dark count rate (DCR) of 3500 cs−1 at room temperature and a yield of 80%. A DCR less than 50 cs−1 can be attained with these detectors by reducing the temperature down to −15°C, while keeping the total afterpulsing probability below 9% with a dead-time of 80 ns.

Resonant-Cavity-Enhanced Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes on Reflecting Silicon Substrates

In this letter, we report the first resonant-cavity-enhanced single-photon avalanche diode (RCE SPAD) fabricated on a reflecting silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The substrate incorporates a two-period distributed Bragg reflector fabricated using a commercially available double-SOI process. The RCE SPAD detectors have peak photon detection efficiencies ranging from 42% at 780 nm to 34% at 850 nm and time resolution of 35-ps full-width at half-maximum. Typical dark count rates of 450, 3500, and 100 000 c/s were measured at room temperature with RCE SPADs having, respectively 8-, 20-, and 50-mum diameter.