A high-performance integrated single-photon detector for telecom wavelengths
Authors: Donald S. Bethune1; William P. Risk1; Gary W. Pabst2
Source: Journal of Modern Optics, Volume 51, Numbers 9-10, 15 June-10 July 2004 , pp. 1359-1368(10)
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd
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Abstract:
A commercial avalanche photodiode (APD) and the circuitry needed to operate it as a single-photon detector (SPD) have been integrated onto a single PC board (PCB). At temperatures accessible with Peltier coolers (
200-240 K), the PCB-SPD achieves high detection efficiency (DE) at 1308 and 1545 nm with low dark-count probability (e.g.
10-6/bias pulse at DE = 20%, 220 K), making it useful for quantum key distribution (QKD). The board generates fast bias pulses, cancels noise transients, amplifies the signals, and sends them to an on-board discriminator. A digital blanking circuit suppresses afterpulsing.
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1080/09500340410001670893
Affiliations: 1: IBM Almaden Research Center 650 Harry Road San Jose CA 95120-6099 USA 2: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering U.C. Davis Davis CA 95616-5294 USA
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