• DOI:10.1063/1.2760135
• Corpus ID: 119142850

High speed single photon detection in the near-infrared

@article{Yuan2007HighSS,
  title={High speed single photon detection in the near-infrared},
  author={Z. L. Yuan and Beata E. Kardynał and A. W. Sharpe and Andrew J. Shields},
  journal={arXiv: Quantum Physics},
  year={2007}
}

• Z. Yuan, B. Kardynał, +1 author A. Shields
• Published 29 July 2007
• Physics
• arXiv: Quantum Physics

InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are convenient for single photon detection in the near-infrared (NIR) including the fibre communication bands (1.31/1.55 $\mu$m). However, to suppress afterpulse noise due to trapped avalanche charge, they must be gated with MHz repetition frequencies, thereby severely limiting the count rate in NIR applications. Here we show gating frequencies for InGaAs-APDs well beyond 1 GHz. Using a self-differencing technique to sense much weaker avalanches, we reduce drastically afterpulse noise. At 1.25 GHz, we obtain a detection efficiency of 10.8% with an afterpulse probability of 6.16%. In addition, the detector features low jitter (55 ps) and a count rate of 100 MHz.