Abstract

The performance of commercially available InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes as single-photon detectors at a 1.55-µm wavelength has been investigated. A new active quenching and gating circuit, tailored for operation of these diodes at temperatures in the range from room temperature to -60 °C and achievable by means of thermoelectrical cooling, has been developed. Careful tuning of the diodes’ operating conditions resulted in a significant reduction of afterpulsing effects; it permitted operation of the detectors with high repetition rates. A noise-equivalent power of 7 × 10^-16 W/Hz^1/2 was obtained at a 1.55-µm wavelength.

© 2001 Optical Society of America

Performance of InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes as gated-mode photon counters

Grégoire Ribordy, Jean-Daniel Gautier, Hugo Zbinden, and Nicolas Gisin
Appl. Opt. 37(12) 2272-2277 (1998)

Single-photon counting for the 1300–1600-nm range by use of Peltier-cooled and passively quenched InGaAs avalanche photodiodes

John G. Rarity, Thomas E. Wall, Kevin D. Ridley, Philippa C. M. Owens, and Paul R. Tapster
Appl. Opt. 39(36) 6746-6753 (2000)

Performance and design of InGaAs/InP photodiodes for single-photon counting at 1.55 µm

Philip A. Hiskett, Gerald S. Buller, Alison Y. Loudon, Jason M. Smith, Ivair Gontijo, Andrew C. Walker, Paul D. Townsend, and Michael J. Robertson
Appl. Opt. 39(36) 6818-6829 (2000)

Single-photon detection beyond 1 μm: performance of commercially available InGaAs/InP detectors

A. Lacaita, F. Zappa, S. Cova, and P. Lovati
Appl. Opt. 35(16) 2986-2996 (1996)

Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of InGaAs/InP multiple-quantum-well structures at 1.3-μm wavelengths by use of germanium single-photon avalanche photodiodes

G. S. Buller, S. J. Fancey, J. S. Massa, A. C. Walker, S. Cova, and A. Lacaita
Appl. Opt. 35(6) 916-921 (1996)