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In this paper we present a new technology for the fabrication of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) aimed at combining the advantages of thin and thick SPADs. The new detector is manufactured in a thick epitaxial layer designed to improve the Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) in the red and near-infrared range while maintaining a good timing resolution. Experimental characterization of the new red-enhanced SPAD (RE-SPAD) confirmed a significant improvement of the PDE compared with thin SPADs; for example the PDE at a wavelength of 800 nm has increased from 15% to about 40%. Nevertheless the temporal resolution is still good, with a timing jitter of about 90 ps FWHM. In the same operating conditions the dark count rate is comparable with the one attainable with a thin SPAD (e.g. less than 25 cps for a 50 µm diameter device cooled down to −5°C). Moreover, being planar, the new technology is compatible with the fabrication of arrays of detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Multi-dimensional time correlated single-photon counting has reached a prominent position among analytical techniques employed in the medical and biological fields. The development of instruments able to perform temporal and spectral fluorescence analysis (sFLIM) at the same time is limited by the performance of single-photon detectors, since currently available arrays cannot simultaneously satisfy all the requirements. To face this rising quest, a fully-parallel eight-channel module, based on a monolithic single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array with great temporal resolution, high photon detection efficiency and low dark count rate, has been designed and fabricated. The system relies on a novel architecture of the single pixel, based on the integration of the timing pick-up circuit next to the photodetector, making the negative effects of electrical and optical crosstalk on photon timing performance negligible. To this end, the custom technological process used to fabricate the SPAD has been modified, allowing the integration of MOS transistors without impairing the structure and the performance of the detector. The single channel is complemented by an external active quenching circuit, fabricated in a standard CMOS technology, that ensures high maximum counting rate (>5 MHz) and low after-pulsing (<2%). Finally, the output timing signals are read and conditioned by proper CMOS electronics. The complete system shows a very good temporal resolution of about 45 ps (FWHM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are nowadays a solid-state alternative to photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) in single-photon counting (SPC) and time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) over the visible spectral range up to 1-mum wavelength. SPADs implemented in planar technology compatible with CMOS circuits offer typical advantages of microelectronic devices (small size, ruggedness, low voltage, low power, etc.). Furthermore, they have inherently higher photon detection efficiency, since they do not rely on electron emission in vacuum from a photocathode as do PMTs, but instead on the internal photoelectric effect. However, PMTs offer much wider sensitive area, which greatly simplifies the design of optical systems; they also attain remarkable performance at high counting rate, and offer picosecond timing resolution with microchannel plate models. In order to make SPAD detectors more competitive in a broader range of SPC and TCSPC applications, it is necessary to face several issues in the semiconductor device design and technology. Such issues will be discussed in the context of the two possible approaches to such a challenge: employing a standard industrial high-voltage CMOS technology or developing a dedicated CMOS-compatible technology. Advances recently attained in the development of SPAD detectors will be outlined and discussed with reference to both single-element detectors and integrated detector arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Advanced fluorescence measurements on single molecules demand single-photon detectors with high-quantum detection efficiency, low noise, and high time resolution. We have developed a compact (82×60×30 mm) and versatile single-photon timing module (SPTM), based on a planar epitaxial single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) working with a monolithic integrated active quenching and active reset circuit (i-AQC) and cooled by a Peltier element. The main operating parameters are computer controlled via RS-232 interface and the photon counting rate can be continuously monitored. The photon detection efficiency is 45% at 500 nm with cooling at -15°C, the dark counting rate is 5 c/s with SPAD operating at 5 V excess bias voltage, 10c/s operating at 10 V. The time resolution obtained with tightly focused illumination has 60-ps full-width at half-maximum. Comparative tests with the SPTM prototype and with an advanced commercially available photon counting module confirmed that the time resolution and sensitivity of the SPTM make it possible to resolve and measure even short lifetime components of a single molecule. The SPTM thus made possible experiments leading to a deeper insight into angstrom-scale structural changes of single-protein molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the last years, custom‐technology single‐photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) have demonstrated remarkable performance, thanks to the fine engineering process performed on the electric field profile. However, the integration of custom SPADs in detector arrays often conflicts with the low‐threshold current sensing that is mandatory to extract the timing information. A new custom‐technology SPAD is introduced, that exploits an extra epitaxial layer in order to reduce the capacitive coupling between the anode and the chip substrate. The new detector shows a state‐of‐the‐art timing jitter of 34 ps full width at half maximum and a weak dependence on the detection threshold, even when the substrate is kept at a fixed voltage, as required by the implementation of multichannel photon timing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A circuit for single‐photon avalanche diode (SPAD) current read‐out, for photon timing applications, is proposed. The circuit consists of a single‐transistor transimpedance amplifier with a gigahertz bandwidth: the feedback loop fixes the SPAD anode voltage and allows obtaining a high time resolution with a very high equivalent current threshold (almost 700 µA). The transimpedance stage is followed by a lowpass filter that reduces the crosstalk of other on‐chip detectors and makes the designed structure suitable for multi‐detector systems. The presented discrete components prototype achieves a state‐of‐the‐art resolution of 34.4 ps full width at half maximum, has negligible crosstalk between the different pixels and opens the way for the development of an integrated structure with a large number of channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodetectors play a critical role in space lidars designed for scientific investigations from orbit around planetary bodies. The detectors must be highly sensitive due to the long range of measurements and tight constraints on the size, weight, and power of the instrument. The detectors must also be space radiation tolerant over multi-year mission lifetimes with no significant performance degradation. Early space lidars used diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers with a single beam for range and atmospheric backscattering measurements at 1064 nm or its frequency harmonics. The photodetectors used were single-element photomultiplier tubes and infrared performance-enhanced silicon avalanche photodiodes. Space lidars have advanced to multiple beams for surface topographic mapping and active infrared spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric species and surface composition, which demand increased performance and new capabilities for lidar detectors. Higher sensitivity detectors are required so that multi-beam and multi-wavelength measurements can be performed without increasing the laser and instrument power. Pixelated photodetectors are needed so that a single detector assembly can be used for simultaneous multi-channel measurements. Photon-counting photodetectors are needed for active spectroscopy measurements from short-wave infrared to mid-wave infrared. HgCdTe avalanche photodiode arrays have emerged recently as a promising technology to fill these needs. This paper gives a review of the photodetectors used in past and present lidars and the development and outlook of HgCdTe APD arrays for future space lidars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the main drawbacks of single-photon avalanche diode arrays is optical crosstalk between adjacent detectors. In the past, this phenomenon was basically ascribed to light propagating from one detector to another through a direct optical path. Accordingly, deep trenches coated with metal were introduced as optical isolation barriers between pixels. This solution, however, was unable to completely prevent the crosstalk. In this letter, we demonstrate that a strong contribution to optical crosstalk comes from photons reflected at the bottom of the chip. These photons can bypass trenches making them less effective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) belong to a family of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) with single-photon detection capability that operate above the breakdown voltage (i.e., Geiger mode). Design and technology constraints, such as dark current, photon detection probability, and power dissipation, impose inherent device limitations on avalanche photodiodes. Moreover, after the detection of a photon, SPADs require dead time for avalanche quenching and recharge before they can detect another photon. The reduction in dead time results in higher efficiency for photon detection in high-frequency applications. In this work, an electronic interface, based on the pole-zero compensation technique for reducing dead time, was investigated. A nanosecond pulse generator was designed and fabricated to generate pulses of comparable voltage to an avalanche transistor. The quenching time constant (τq) is not affected by the compensation capacitance variation, while an increase of about 30% in the τq is related to the properties of the specific op-amp used in the design. Conversely, the recovery time was observed to be strongly influenced by the compensation capacitance. Reductions in the recovery time, from 927.3 ns down to 57.6 ns and 9.8 ns, were observed when varying the compensation capacitance in the range of 5–0.1 pF. The experimental results from an SPAD combined with an electronic interface based on an avalanche transistor are in strong accordance, providing similar output pulses to those of an illuminated SPAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avalanche photodiodes have emerged as a promising technology with significant potential for various medical applications. This article presents an overview of the advancements and applications of avalanche photodiodes in the field of medical imaging. Avalanche photodiodes offer distinct advantages over traditional photodetectors, including a higher responsivity, faster response times, and superior signal-to-noise ratios. These characteristics make avalanche photodiodes particularly suitable for medical-imaging modalities that require a high detection efficiency, excellent timing resolution, and enhanced spatial resolution. This review explores the key features of avalanche photodiodes, discusses their applications in medical-imaging techniques, and highlights the challenges and future prospects in utilizing avalanche photodiodes for medical purposes. Special attention is paid to the recent progress in silicon-compatible avalanche photodiodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free-running InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs) typically operate in the active-quenching mode, facing the problems of long dead time and large timing jitter. In this paper, we demonstrate a 1-GHz gated InGaAs/InP SPAD with the sinusoidal gating signals asynchronous to the incident pulsed laser, enabling free-running single-photon detection. The photon-induced avalanche signals are quenched within 1 ns, efficiently reducing the SPAD's dead time and achieving a count rate of up to 500 Mcount/s. However, the timing jitter is measured to be ~168 ps, much larger than that of the SPAD with synchronous gates. We adjust the delay between the gating signals and the incident pulsed laser to simulate the random arrival of the photons, and record the timing jitter, respectively, to figure out the cause of the jitter deterioration. In addition, the effects of the incident laser power and working temperature of the APD on the time resolution have been investigated, broadening the applications of the GHz gated free-running SPAD in laser ranging and imaging, fluorescence spectroscopy detection and optical time-domain reflectometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a novel avalanche photodiode (APD) design which fundamentally relaxes the trade-off between responsivity and saturation-current performance at receiver end in coherent system. Our triple In0.52Al0.48As based multiplication (M-) layers with a stepped electric (E-) field inside has more pronounced avalanche process with significantly less effective critical-field than the dual M-layer. Reduced E-field in active M-layers ensures stronger E-field allocation to the thick absorption-layer with a smaller breakdown voltage (Vbr) resulting in less serious space-charge screening effect, less device heating at high output photocurrent. Compared to the dual M-layer reference sample, the demonstrated APD exhibits lower punch-through (− 9 vs. − 24 V)/breakdown voltages (− 43 vs. − 51 V), higher responsivity (19.6 vs. 13.5 A/W), higher maximum gain (230 vs. 130), and higher 1-dB saturation-current (> 5.6 vs. 2.5 mA) under 0.95 Vbr operation. Extremely high saturation-current (> 14.6 mA), high responsivity (7.3 A/W), and decent O-E bandwidth (1.4 GHz) can be simultaneously achieved using the demonstrated APD with a 200 µm active window diameter. In coherent FMCW LiDAR test bed, this novel APD exhibits a larger signal-to-noise ratio and high-quality 3-D images than the reference dual M-layer and high-performance commercial p-i-n PD modules, while requiring significantly less optical local-oscillator (LO) power (0.5 vs 4 mW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In hard X-ray applications that require high detection efficiency and short response times, such as synchrotron radiation-based Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence or photon beam position monitoring, III–V-compound semiconductors, and dedicated alloys offer some advantages over the Si-based technologies traditionally used in solid-state photodetectors. Amongst them, gallium arsenide (GaAs) is one of the most valuable materials thanks to its unique characteristics. At the same time, implementing charge-multiplication mechanisms within the sensor may become of critical importance in cases where the photogenerated signal needs an intrinsic amplification before being acquired by the front-end electronics, such as in the case of a very weak photon flux or when single-photon detection is required. Some GaAs-based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) were grown by a molecular beam epitaxy to fulfill these needs; by means of band gap engineering, we realised devices with separate absorption and multiplication region(s) (SAM), the latter featuring a so-called staircase structure to reduce the multiplication noise. This work reports on the experimental characterisations of gain, noise, and charge collection efficiencies of three series of GaAs APDs featuring different thicknesses of the absorption regions. These devices have been developed to investigate the role of such thicknesses and the presence of traps or defects at the metal–semiconductor interfaces responsible for charge loss, in order to lay the groundwork for the future development of very thick GaAs devices (thicker than 100 μ m) for hard X-rays. Several measurements were carried out on such devices with both lasers and synchrotron light sources, inducing photon absorption with X-ray microbeams at variable and controlled depths. In this way, we verified both the role of the thickness of the absorption region in the collection efficiency and the possibility of using the APDs without reaching the punch-through voltage, thus preventing the noise induced by charge multiplication in the absorption region. These devices, with thicknesses suitable for soft X-ray detection, have also shown good characteristics in terms of internal amplification and reduction of multiplication noise, in line with numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY In this paper, we present an accurate behavioral model for simulating single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The device operation is described using the Verilog-A description language, which is an analog extension of the common digital hardware description language. The derived model is able to emulate the static, the dynamic behavior and the main statistical effects of an SPAD, such as the turn-off probability, the dark-count and the after-pulsing phenomena. Spectre simulations reveal the validity of the approach showing a good matching between the behavior of the proposed model and experimental results reported in the literature. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today there are several types of photodetectors that can cope with the task of detecting a single photon, however, avalanche photodiodes are most widely used for applications in fiber-optic communication systems and quantum cryptography. In the past 5 years experimental fabrication of single-photon avalanche detectors within conventional complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology and by the method of molecular beam epitaxy have made possible many demonstrations of avalanche photodetectors with exceptional performance characteristics and opened wide perspectives for development of devices of new generation. In this work, we review state-of-the-art designs of single-photon avalanche photodiodes based on group IV materials, their operating characteristics, and achieved values of basic parameters, as well as the methods of their synthesis, and outline the perspectives of using such structures in emerging device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has witnessed a dramatic increase in interest in emerging photodetectors built from two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. A major driver of this trend is the growing demands for lightweight, uncooled, and even flexible photodetection technology. However, 2D layered materials always suffer from low light absorption coefficients due to their atomically thin nature. Impact ionization, which can achieve carrier multiplication, is a promising strategy to design 2D photodetectors with high detection efficiency. In this review, typical types of photodetection mechanisms in 2D photodetectors are first summarized. We then discuss the avalanche mechanism induced by impact ionization and avalanche photodetectors based on conventional silicon and III–V compound semiconductors. Finally, a host of emerging avalanche photodetectors based on 2D materials and their van der Waals heterostructures, and their potential applications in the field of photon-counting technologies are detailed. By reviewing the recent progress and discussing challenges faced by 2D avalanche photodetectors, this review aims to provide perspectives on future research directions of 2D material-based ultrasensitive photodetectors such as single-photon detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have demonstrated entanglement swapping with 1550 nm polarization-entangled photon pairs created by spontaneous parametric down conversion in two spatially separated type-II periodically poled lithium niobate bulk crystals. In a partial Bell-state measurement, entanglement was observed between two photons from separate sources. We employed sinusoidally gated InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes operated at a repetition frequency of 1.28 GHz, which increased the four-fold coincidence count rate without degrading the fidelity of entanglement swapping. The obtained fidelity exceeds 90%, which indicates that the entangled states obtained in this experiment are high enough for immediate further use in quantum communication protocols such as quantum teleportation or quantum cryptography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization and analysis of afterpulsing behavior in InGaAs/InP single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) is reported for gating frequencies between 10 and 50 MHz. Gating in this frequency range was accomplished using a matched delay line technique to achieve parasitic transient cancellation, and FPGA-based data acquisition firmware was implemented to provide an efficient, flexible multiple-gate sequencing methodology for obtaining the dependence of afterpulse probability P ap on hold-off time T ho. We show that the detrapping times extracted from the canonical exponential fitting of P ap(T ho) have no physical significance, and we propose an alternative description of the measured data, which is accurately fit with the simple power law behavior P ap ∝  with α ∼ 1.2 ± 0.2. We discuss the physical implications of this functional form, including what it may indicate about trap defect distributions and other possible origins of this power law behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

InGaAs/InP-based semiconductor avalanche photodiodes are usually employed for single-photon counting at telecom wavelength. However they are affected by afterpulsing which limits the diode performance. Recently, Princeton Lightwave has commercialized a diode integrating monolithically a feedback resistor. This solution effectively quenches the avalanche and drastically reduces afterpulsing. Here, we report the development and characterization of a detector module based on this diode, implementing an active hold-off circuit which further reduces the afterpulsing and notably improves the detector performances. We demonstrate free-running operation with 600 Hz dark count rate at 10% detection efficiency. We also improved the standard double-window technique for the afterpulsing characterization. Our algorithm implemented by a FPGA allows one to put the APD in a well-defined initial condition and to measure the impact of the higher order afterpulses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper surveys recent research on CMOS silicon avalanche photodiodes (SiAPD) and presents the design of a SiAPD based photoreceiver dedicated to near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) application. Near-infrared spectroscopy provides an inexpensive, non-invasive, and portable means to image brain function, and is one of the most efficient diagnostic techniques of different neurological diseases. In NIRS system, brain tissue is penetrated by near-infrared (NIR) radiation and the reflected signal is captured by a photodiode. Since the reflected NIR signal has very low amplitude, SiAPD is a better choice than regular photodiode for NIR signal detection due to SiAPD`s ability to amplify the photo generated signal by avalanche multiplication. Design requirements of using CMOS SiAPDs for NIR light detection are discussed, and the challenges of fabricating SiAPDs using standard CMOS process are addressed. Performances of state-of-the-art CMOS SiAPDs with different device structures are summarized and compared. The efficacy of the proposed SiAPD based photoreceiver is confirmed by post layout simulation. Finally, the SiAPD and its associated circuits has been implemented in one chip using 0.35 μm standard CMOS technology for an integrated NIRS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By ignoring events originating in noisy areas of a position-sensitive single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), reduction of noise from fixed-position defects is experimentally shown. Additional experimental results from a position-sensitive SPAD integrated in a high-voltage 0.35-\mu\m technology are presented. An effect reducing the active area is described, quantified, and experimentally measured using multiple techniques, with an observed inactive distance of roughly 2 \mu\m near the guard rings. The standard characterization results for multiple SPAD geometries are presented, along with the results of noise reduction in a single high-noise SPAD. Characterization results show a photon detection probability above 35%, a dark count rate density in the tens of \Hz/\mu\m^2, and a signal-to-noise ratio increase of 8 dB for a noisy diode in low light. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An improved gated-mode passive quenching with active reset (gated-PQAR) circuit is utilized in conjunction with an InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD). Photon detection efficiency (PDE) and dark count probability (DCP) were measured at a gate repetition rate of 1 MHz. The reduced afterpulsing afforded by the gated-PQAR circuit enabled measurement of afterpulsing for hold-off times as short as 10 ns. The timing resolution (jitter) for different excess biases has also been investigated. At 230 K and an excess bias of 2.5 V, 0.3% afterpulse probability for a 10 ns hold-off time was achieved with 13% PDE, 2 × 10-6 DCP, 160 ps jitter, and 0.2 ns effective gate width. For the same hold-off time, at a higher excess bias of 3.5 V, 30% PDE, 1 × 10-5 DCP and 120 ps jitter were achieved with 7% afterpulse probability with an effective gate width of 0.7 ns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (APD) or photon counting detectors (PCD) have become the basis of a range of new detectors and applications. Such devices are sensitive to single photons and are being adapted to create different detector technologies such as the silicon photomultiplier (SPM). A silicon photomultiplier, so-called because of its similarity in performance to conventional photomultiplier tubes, is based on an array of photon counting detectors but with a single common output. While the silicon photomultiplier does not provide positional information, it does allow photon number resolution and photon counting at higher count rates than are achievable with a solitary PCD. These new detectors are enabling a range of new applications in the fields of medicine, biology, high-energy physics and space exploration. In this paper we report the performance of PCD with dimensions ranging from 20 μm × 20 μm to 200 μm × 200 μm and on 1 mm2 silicon photomultipliers and illustrate the use of an SPM in single photon counting mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results obtained so far with AquEYE, a single photon counting, fixed aperture photometer for the Asiago 182 cm telescope. AquEYE has been conceived as a prototype of a truly 'quantum' photometer for future Extremely Large Telescopes of 30-50 m aperture. This prototype is characterized by four independent channels equipped with single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) as detectors. The counts from the four channels are acquired by a TDC board which has a nominal 25 ps time tagging capability. Taking into account the 35 ps jitter in the SPAD itself, the overall precision of the time tags is of the order of 50 ps. The internal oscillator is locked to an external rubidium clock; a GPS pulse per second is collected by the TDC itself to obtain a UTC reference. The maximum photon count rate which the present system can sustain is 12 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently developed InGaAs/InP devices suitable as single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) in the near-infrared range provide good detection efficiency and low time jitter, together with fairly low dark-count rate at moderately low temperature. However, the overall performance is still severely limited by the afterpulsing effect (due to carriers trapped in deep levels during the avalanche and later released). Experimental studies and speculations aiming to improve the overall performance are here presented. The photon detection efficiency is characterized and the primary dark-count rate is investigated, taking into account thermal generation in the InGaAs layer (absorption layer) and trap-assisted tunneling in the InP layer (multiplication layer). Experimental investigations on the afterpulsing are reported. Improvements obtainable with existing devices by selecting proper operating conditions and circuit solutions are presented and discussed. In order to gain a better insight in the design of new devices, the effectiveness of trapping levels as a function of their location and of the electric field distribution is studied by computer simulation. The fundamental role played by the front-end circuits is assessed and demonstrated, in particular as concerns picosecond photon timing for a SPAD operating in gated-mode with ultrafast gate-on and gate-off transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of carrier dynamics of the single-photon detection process, i.e., from Geiger mode pulse generation to its quenching, in a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The device is modeled by a parallel circuit of a SPAD and a capacitance representing both space charge accumulation inside the SPAD and parasitic components. The carrier dynamics inside the SPAD is described by time-dependent bipolar-coupled continuity equations (BCE). Numerical solutions of BCE show that the entire process completes within a few hundreds of picoseconds. More importantly, we find that the total amount of charges stored on the series capacitance gives rise to a voltage swing of the internal bias of SPAD twice of the excess bias voltage with respect to the breakdown voltage. This, in turn, gives a design methodology to control precisely generated charges and enables one to use SPADs as conventional photodiodes (PDs) in a four transistor pixel of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) with short exposure time and without carrier overflow. Such operation is demonstrated by experiments with a 6 µm size 400 × 400 pixels SPAD-based CIS designed with this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is an essential tool in clinical applications for the diagnosis of diseases due to its ability to acquire functional images to help differentiate between metabolic and biological activities at the molecular level. One key limiting factor in the development of efficient and accurate PET systems is the sensor technology in the PET detector. There are generally four types of sensor technologies employed: photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), avalanche photodiodes (APDs), silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors. PMTs were widely used for PET applications in the early days due to their excellent performance metrics of high gain, low noise, and fast timing. However, the fragility and bulkiness of the PMT glass tubes, high operating voltage, and sensitivity to magnetic fields ultimately limit this technology for future cost-effective and multi-modal systems. As a result, solid-state photodetectors like the APD, SiPM, and CZT detectors, and their applications for PET systems, have attracted lots of research interest, especially owing to the continual advancements in the semiconductor fabrication process. In this review, we study and discuss the operating principles, key performance parameters, and PET applications for each type of sensor technology with an emphasis on SiPM and CZT detectors—the two most promising types of sensors for future PET systems. We also present the sensor technologies used in commercially available state-of-the-art PET systems. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of these four types of sensors are compared and the research challenges of SiPM and CZT detectors are discussed and summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical analysis and two-dimensional simulation of InGaAs/InAlAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) and single-photon APDs (SPADs) are reported. The electric-field distribution and tunneling effect of InGaAs/InAlAs APDs and SPADs are studied. When the InGaAs/InAlAs SPADs are operated under the Geiger mode, the electric field increases linearly in the absorption layer and deviate down from its linear relations in the multiplication layer. Considering the tunneling threshold electric field in multiplication layer, the thickness of the multiplication layer should be larger than 300 nm. Moreover, SPADs can work under a large bias voltage to avoid tunneling in absorption layer with high doping concentrations in the charge layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes (APD) are rarely used in a free-running regime for near-infrared single photon detection. In order to overcome the detrimental afterpulsing, we demonstrate a passive quenching active reset integrated circuit. Taking advantage of the inherent fast passive quenching process and active reset to reduce reset time, the integrated circuit is useful for reducing afterpulses and is also area-efficient. We investigate the free-running single photon detector’s afterpulsing effect, de-trapping time, dark count rate, and photon detection efficiency, and also compare with gated regime operation. After correction for deadtime and afterpulse, we find that the passive quenching active reset free-running single photon detector’s performance is consistent with gated operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In classical optical time domain reflectometries (OTDRs), for sensing an 200-km-long fiber, the optical pulses launched are as wide as tens of microseconds to get enough signal-to-noise ratio, while it results in a two-point resolution of kilometers. To both reach long sensing distance and sub-kilometer resolution, we demonstrated a long-haul photon-counting OTDR using a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector. In a 40-minute-long measurement, we obtained a dynamic range of 46.9 dB, corresponding to a maximum sensing distance of 246.8 km, at a two-point resolution of 0.1 km. The time for measuring fiber after 100 km was reduced to one minute, while the fiber end at 217 km was still distinguished well from noise. After reducing the pulse width to 100 ns, the experimental two-point resolution was improved to 20 m while the maximum sensing distance was 209.47 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a silicon avalanche photodiode (Si-APD)-based boxcar-integrator, in which the Si-APD is driven in the gate mode. In the gate mode, by setting the direct current reverse-bias voltage Vr applied to the APD to below its breakdown voltage Vb, we superimpose a gate pulse of amplitude Vg on Vr so that the total voltage is nearly equal to Vb, but does not exceed it, i.e. Vr + Vg < Vb. In this case, the instantaneous current multiplication factor Mi of the APD is noticeably enhanced, especially when the duration of the gate pulse tw is reduced to the nanosecond scale. Because the gated Si-APD plays the role of a sampling unit as well as that of a photodetector for the repeatable signal light incident on the APD, in principle, the proposed scheme has an advantage in terms of the measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To demonstrate the usefulness of the scheme, we have measured the fluorescence lifetimes of cerium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ce:YAG) ceramics where the concentration of Ce is varied in steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]