Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution
We present an integrated single-photon detection device custom designed for quantum key distribution (QKD) with time-bin encoded single photons. We implemented and demonstrated a prototype photon-to-digital converter (PDC) that integrates an 8 × 8 single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array with on-c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/7/3376 |
| _version_ | 1797607051885543424 |
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| author | Simon Carrier Michel Labrecque-Dias Ramy Tannous Pascal Gendron Frédéric Nolet Nicolas Roy Tommy Rossignol Frédéric Vachon Samuel Parent Thomas Jennewein Serge Charlebois Jean-François Pratte |
| author_facet | Simon Carrier Michel Labrecque-Dias Ramy Tannous Pascal Gendron Frédéric Nolet Nicolas Roy Tommy Rossignol Frédéric Vachon Samuel Parent Thomas Jennewein Serge Charlebois Jean-François Pratte |
| author_sort | Simon Carrier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present an integrated single-photon detection device custom designed for quantum key distribution (QKD) with time-bin encoded single photons. We implemented and demonstrated a prototype photon-to-digital converter (PDC) that integrates an 8 × 8 single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array with on-chip digital signal processing built in TSMC 65 nm CMOS. The prototype SPADs are used to validate the QKD functionalities with an array of time-to-digital converters (TDCs) to timestamp and process the photon detection events. The PDC uses window gating to reject noise counts and on-chip processing to sort the photon detections into respective time-bins. The PDC prototype achieved a 22.7 ps RMS timing resolution and demonstrated operation in a time-bin setup with 158 ps time-bins at an optical wavelength of 410 nm. This PDC can therefore be an important building block for a QKD receiver and enables compact and robust time-bin QKD systems with imaging detectors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:25:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-791ce6578af74fc59f9e8329e644052d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:25:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-791ce6578af74fc59f9e8329e644052d2023-11-17T17:31:36ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-03-01237337610.3390/s23073376Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key DistributionSimon Carrier0Michel Labrecque-Dias1Ramy Tannous2Pascal Gendron3Frédéric Nolet4Nicolas Roy5Tommy Rossignol6Frédéric Vachon7Samuel Parent8Thomas Jennewein9Serge Charlebois10Jean-François Pratte11Département de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaInstitute for Quantum Computing, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaInstitute for Quantum Computing, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaDépartement de Génie Électrique et de Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, CanadaWe present an integrated single-photon detection device custom designed for quantum key distribution (QKD) with time-bin encoded single photons. We implemented and demonstrated a prototype photon-to-digital converter (PDC) that integrates an 8 × 8 single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array with on-chip digital signal processing built in TSMC 65 nm CMOS. The prototype SPADs are used to validate the QKD functionalities with an array of time-to-digital converters (TDCs) to timestamp and process the photon detection events. The PDC uses window gating to reject noise counts and on-chip processing to sort the photon detections into respective time-bins. The PDC prototype achieved a 22.7 ps RMS timing resolution and demonstrated operation in a time-bin setup with 158 ps time-bins at an optical wavelength of 410 nm. This PDC can therefore be an important building block for a QKD receiver and enables compact and robust time-bin QKD systems with imaging detectors.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/7/3376photon-to-digital converter (PDC)quantum key distribution (QKD)single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD)time-to-digital converter (TDC)CMOS detectorfree-space |
| spellingShingle | Simon Carrier Michel Labrecque-Dias Ramy Tannous Pascal Gendron Frédéric Nolet Nicolas Roy Tommy Rossignol Frédéric Vachon Samuel Parent Thomas Jennewein Serge Charlebois Jean-François Pratte Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution Sensors photon-to-digital converter (PDC) quantum key distribution (QKD) single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) time-to-digital converter (TDC) CMOS detector free-space |
| title | Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution |
| title_full | Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution |
| title_fullStr | Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution |
| title_short | Towards a Multi-Pixel Photon-to-Digital Converter for Time-Bin Quantum Key Distribution |
| title_sort | towards a multi pixel photon to digital converter for time bin quantum key distribution |
| topic | photon-to-digital converter (PDC) quantum key distribution (QKD) single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) time-to-digital converter (TDC) CMOS detector free-space |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/7/3376 |
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