Photon counting schemes and performance of non-deterministic nonlinear gates in linear optics

Noise and Breakdown Characterization of SPAD Detectors with Time-Gated Photon-Counting Operation

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21165287 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (16) ◽

pp. 5287

Author(s):

Hiwa Mahmoudi ◽

Michael Hofbauer ◽

Bernhard Goll ◽

Horst Zimmermann

Keyword(s):

Breakdown Voltage ◽

Single Photon ◽

Photon Counting ◽

Low Noise ◽

Dark Count ◽

Fully Integrated ◽

Trade Offs ◽

And Performance ◽

Noise Models

Being ready-to-detect over a certain portion of time makes the time-gated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) an attractive candidate for low-noise photon-counting applications. A careful SPAD noise and performance characterization, however, is critical to avoid time-consuming experimental optimization and redesign iterations for such applications. Here, we present an extensive empirical study of the breakdown voltage, as well as the dark-count and afterpulsing noise mechanisms for a fully integrated time-gated SPAD detector in 0.35-μm CMOS based on experimental data acquired in a dark condition. An “effective” SPAD breakdown voltage is introduced to enable efficient characterization and modeling of the dark-count and afterpulsing probabilities with respect to the excess bias voltage and the gating duration time. The presented breakdown and noise models will allow for accurate modeling and optimization of SPAD-based detector designs, where the SPAD noise can impose severe trade-offs with speed and sensitivity as is shown via an example.

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Construction and performance of a scanning, photon‐counting spectrofluorometer

Review of Scientific Instruments ◽

10.1063/1.1134833 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 47 (9) ◽

pp. 1034-1038 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

D. M. Jameson ◽

R. D. Spencer ◽

G. Weber

Keyword(s):

Photon Counting ◽

And Performance

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Time-Correlated Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Based on a Silicon Photomultiplier and Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting Technique

Applied Spectroscopy ◽

10.1366/12-06736 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 136-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Chunling Zhang ◽

Liying Zhang ◽

Ru Yang ◽

Kun Liang ◽

Dejun Han

Keyword(s):

Single Photon ◽

Photon Counting ◽

Light Level ◽

Sers Spectrum ◽

Silicon Photomultiplier ◽

Temporal Separation ◽

Single Photon Counting ◽

Surface Enhanced Raman ◽

And Performance ◽

High Fluorescence

We report a time-correlated Raman spectroscopy technique based on a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and a time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique to exploit the natural temporal separation between Raman and fluorescence phenomena to alleviate the high fluorescence background with conventional Raman detection. The TCSPC technique employed can greatly reduce the effect of high dark count rate (DCR) and crosstalk of SiPM that seriously hinder its application in low light level detection. The operating principle and performance of the 400 ps time resolution system are discussed along with the improvement of the peak-to-background ratio (PBR) for bulk trinitrotoluene (TNT) Raman spectrum relative to a commercial Raman spectrometer with charge coupled device (CCD). The fluorescence lifetime for solid TNT and Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectrum for 10−6 mol/L trace TNT have also been obtained by this system, showing excellent versatility and convenience in spectroscopy measurement.

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