Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms
While silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) have reached very high detection efficiency and timing resolution, their use in fibre-optic communications, optical free space communications, and infrared sensing and imaging remains limited. III-V compounds including InGaAs and InP...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Nanophotonics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/nanoph.2015.4.issue-4/nanoph-2015-0021/nanoph-2015-0021.xml?format=INT |
| _version_ | 1818957438519345152 |
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| author | Hall David Liu Yu-Hsin Lo Yu-Hwa |
| author_facet | Hall David Liu Yu-Hsin Lo Yu-Hwa |
| author_sort | Hall David |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) have reached very high
detection efficiency and timing resolution, their use in fibre-optic
communications, optical free space communications, and infrared sensing and
imaging remains limited. III-V compounds including InGaAs and InP are the
prevalent materials for 1550 nm light detection. However, even the most
sensitive 1550 nm photoreceivers in optical communication have a sensitivity
limit of a few hundred photons. Today, the only viable approach to achieve
single-photon sensitivity at 1550 nm wavelength from semiconductor devices is to
operate the avalanche detectors in Geiger mode, essentially trading dynamic
range and speed for sensitivity. As material properties limit the performance of
Ge and III-V detectors, new conceptual insight with regard to novel quenching
and gain mechanisms could potentially address the performance limitations of
III-V SPADs. Novel designs that utilise internal self-quenching and negative
feedback can be used to harness the sensitivity of single-photon detectors,while
drastically reducing the device complexity and increasing the level of
integration. Incorporation of multiple gain mechanisms, together with
self-quenching and built-in negative feedback, into a single device also hold
promise for a new type of detector with single-photon sensitivity and large
dynamic range. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T11:09:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a2411b2cb1aa47a5bbc96c9f5745aba4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2192-8606 2192-8614 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T11:09:51Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanophotonics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a2411b2cb1aa47a5bbc96c9f5745aba42022-12-21T19:42:49ZengDe GruyterNanophotonics2192-86062192-86142015-11-014139741210.1515/nanoph-2015-0021nanoph-2015-0021Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanismsHall David0Liu Yu-Hsin1Lo Yu-Hwa2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0409, USAMaterials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0418, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San DiegoWhile silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) have reached very high detection efficiency and timing resolution, their use in fibre-optic communications, optical free space communications, and infrared sensing and imaging remains limited. III-V compounds including InGaAs and InP are the prevalent materials for 1550 nm light detection. However, even the most sensitive 1550 nm photoreceivers in optical communication have a sensitivity limit of a few hundred photons. Today, the only viable approach to achieve single-photon sensitivity at 1550 nm wavelength from semiconductor devices is to operate the avalanche detectors in Geiger mode, essentially trading dynamic range and speed for sensitivity. As material properties limit the performance of Ge and III-V detectors, new conceptual insight with regard to novel quenching and gain mechanisms could potentially address the performance limitations of III-V SPADs. Novel designs that utilise internal self-quenching and negative feedback can be used to harness the sensitivity of single-photon detectors,while drastically reducing the device complexity and increasing the level of integration. Incorporation of multiple gain mechanisms, together with self-quenching and built-in negative feedback, into a single device also hold promise for a new type of detector with single-photon sensitivity and large dynamic range.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/nanoph.2015.4.issue-4/nanoph-2015-0021/nanoph-2015-0021.xml?format=INTSingle photon avalanche diodesavalanche photodiodesphotodetectors |
| spellingShingle | Hall David Liu Yu-Hsin Lo Yu-Hwa Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms Nanophotonics Single photon avalanche diodes avalanche photodiodes photodetectors |
| title | Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms |
| title_full | Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms |
| title_fullStr | Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms |
| title_short | Single photon avalanche detectors: prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms |
| title_sort | single photon avalanche detectors prospects of new quenching and gain mechanisms |
| topic | Single photon avalanche diodes avalanche photodiodes photodetectors |
| url | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/nanoph.2015.4.issue-4/nanoph-2015-0021/nanoph-2015-0021.xml?format=INT |
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