Low-Noise, Low-Jitter, High Detection Efficiency InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode

Author

Tosi, Alberto ; Calandri, Niccolo ; Sanzaro, Mirko ; Acerbi, Fabio

Author_Institution

Dipt. di Elettron., Inf. e Bioingegneria, Politec. di Milano, Milan, Italy

Volume

20

Issue

6

fYear

2014

fDate

Nov.-Dec. 1 2014

Firstpage

192

Lastpage

197

Abstract

We present the performance of a novel InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) with high detection efficiency and low noise thanks to the improvement of Zinc diffusion conditions and the optimization of the vertical structure. The 25-μm active-area diameter detector, operated in gated-mode with ON time of tens of nanoseconds, shows very low dark count rate (few kilo-counts per second at 225 K and 5 V of excess bias), 30% photon detection efficiency at 1550 nm, low afterpulsing, and a timing response with less than 90-ps full-width at half maximum and very fast exponential tail (time constant ~ 60 ps). Therefore, this InGaAs/InP SPAD is among the best ones ever reported in the literature.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; avalanche photodiodes; diffusion; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; jitter; noise; optimisation; photodetectors; zinc; InGaAs-InP; SPAD; Zinc diffusion; dark count rate; efficiency 30 percent; gated-mode operation; high detection efficiency; low afterpulsing; low jitter; low noise; photon detection efficiency; single-photon avalanche diode; size 25 mum; temperature 225 K; timing response; vertical structure optimization; wavelength 1550 nm; Electric fields; Indium gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; Logic gates; Photonics; Temperature measurement; Zinc; Dark count rate (DCR); InGaAs/InP; detection efficiency; near-infrared (NIR) detector; photon counting; single photon; single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD); timing jitter;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSTQE.2014.2328440

Filename

6847158