Single-photon detection beyond 1 μm: Performance of commercially available germanium photodiodes

Applied Optics

Volumn 33, Issue 30, 1994, Pages 6902-6918

  Lacaita, A ^a   Francese, P A ^a   Zappa, F ^a   Cova, S ^a  

^a POLITECNICO DI MILANO   (Italy)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AVALANCHE DIODES; INFRARED RADIATION; SEMICONDUCTING GERMANIUM; SENSORS;

NOISE EQUIVALENT POWER; SINGLE-PHOTON DETECTORS;

PHOTODIODES;

EID: 0028532177     PISSN: 1559128X     EISSN: 21553165     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1364/AO.33.006902     Document Type: Article

References (34)

1. D. P. Mathu, R. J. McIntyre, and P. P. Webb, “A new germanium photodiode with extended long-wavelength response, ” Appl. Opt. 9, 1842-1847 (1970).
2. D. V. O’Connor and D. Phillips, Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (Academic, London, 1983), Chap. 2, p. 36.
3. R. G. W. Brown, K. D. Ridley, and J. G. Rarity, “Characterization of silicon avalanche photodiodes for photon correlation measurements. 1: Passive quenching, ” Appl. Opt. 25, 4122-4126(1986).
4. G. Ripamonti, M. Ghioni, and A. Lacaita, “No dead-space optical time-domain refleetometer, ” J. Lightwave Technol. 8, 1278-1283 (1990).
5. N. S. Nightingale, “A new silicon avalanche photodiode detector for astronomy, ” Exp. Astron. 1, 407-422 (1991).
6. J. R. Palmer and G. R. Morrison, “The use of avalanche photodiodes for the detection of soft x rays, ” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 63, 828-831(1992).
7. T. S. Larchuk, R. A. Campos, J. G. Rarity, P. R. Tapster, E. Jakeman, B. E. A. Saleh, and M. C. Teich, “Interfering entangled photons of different colors, ” Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 1603-1606 (1993).
8. W. Haecker, O. Groezinger, and M. H. Pilkuhn, “Infrared photon counting by Ge avalanche diodes, ” Appl. Phys. Lett. 19, 113-115 (1971).
9. B. F. Levine and C. G. Bethea, “Single photon detection at 1.3 μm using a gated avalanche photodiode, ” Appl. Phys. Lett. 44, 553-555 (1984).
10. B. F. Levine, C. G. Bethea, L. G. Cohen, J. C. Campbell, and G. D. Morris, “Optical time domain reflectometer using a photon counting InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode at 1.3 μm, ” Electron. Lett. 21, 83-84 (1985).
11. A. Lacaita, S. Cova, F. Zappa, and P. A. Francese, “Subnanosecond single-photon timing with commercially available germanium photodiodes, ” Opt. Lett. 18, 75-77 (1993).
12. S. Cova, A. Lacaita, M. Ghioni, G. Ripamonti, and T. A. Louis, “20-ps timing resolution with single-photon avalanche diodes, ” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 60, 1104-1110 (1989).
13. R. H. Haitz, “Mechanisms contributing to the noise pulse rate of avalanche diodes, ” J. Appl. Phys. 36, 3123-3131 (1965).
14. S. Cova, A. Lacaita, and G. Ripamonti, “Trapping phenomena in avalanche photodiodes on nanosecond scale, ” IEEE Electron. Dev. Lett. 12, 685-687 (1991).
15. T. Mikawa, T. Kaneda, H. Nishimoto, M. Motegi, and H. Okushima, “Small-active area germanium avalanche photodiode for single-mode fiber at 1.3-jxm wavelength, ” Electron. Lett. 19, 452-453(1983).
16. R. H. Haitz, “Variation of junction breakdown voltage by charge trapping, ” Phys. Rev. 138, A260-A267 (1965).
17. C. G. Bethea, B. F. Levine, S. Cova, and G. Ripamonti, “High-resolution and high-sensitivity optical time-domain reflectometer, ” Opt. Lett. 13, 233-235 (1988).
18. O. Groezinger and W. Haecker, “Influence of tunneling processes on avalanche breakdown in Ge and Si, ” J. Appl. Phys. 44, 1307-1310(1973).
19. A. D. MacGregor, B. Dion, and R. J. McIntyre, “High-sensitivity, high-data-rate receivers for ISL using low-noise silicon APD’s, ” in Optical Space Communication, G. Otrio, ed., Proc. Soc. Photo-Opt. Instrum. Eng. 1131, 176-186 (1989).
20. R. H. Haitz, “Model for the electrical behavior of a microplasma, ” J. Appl. Phys. 35, 1370-1376 (1964).
21. P. Antognetti, S. Cova, and A. Longoni, “A study of the operation and performance of an avalanche diode as a single photon detector, ” in Proceedings of the Second Ispra Nuclear Electronics Symposium, pubi. EUR 537e (Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 1975), pp. 453-456.
22. S. Cova, A. Longoni, and A. Andreoni, “Towards picosecond resolution with single photon avalanche diodes, ” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 52, 408-412 (1981).
23. S. Cova, A. Longoni, and G. Ripamonti, “Active quenching and gating circuits for single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), ” IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-29, 599-601 (1982).
24. S. Cova, “Active quenching circuit for avalanche photodiodes, ” U.S. Patent 4, 963, 727 (Italian patent 22367A/88) (16 October 1990).
25. R. G. W. Brown, K. D. Ridley, and J. C. Rarity, “Characterization of silicon avalanche photodiodes for photon correlation measurements. 2: Active quenching, ” Appl. Opt. 26, 2383-2389 (1987).
26. T. O. Regan, H. C. Fenker, J. Thomas, and J. Oliver, “A method to quench and recharge avalanche photodiodes for use in high rate situations/’ Nucl. Instrum. Methods A326, 570-573 (1993).
27. G. Vincent, A. Chantre, and D. Boise, “Electric field effect on the thermal emission of traps in semiconductor junctions, ” J. Appl. Phys. 50, 5484-5487 (1979).
28. R. J. McIntyre, “On the avalanche initiation probability of avalanche diodes above the breakdown voltage, ” IEEE Trans. Electron Devices ED-20, 637-641 (1973).
29. W. C. Dash and R. Newman, “Intrinsic optical absorption in single crystal germanium and silicon at 77 K and 300 K, ” Phys. Rev. 99, 1151-1155 (1955).
30. W. G. Oldham, R. R. Samuelson, and P. Antognetti, “Triggering phenomena in avalanche diodes, ” IEEE Trans. Electron Devices ED-19, 1056-1060 (1972).
31. T. Mikawa, S. Kagawa, T. Kaneda, and Y. Toyama, “Crystal orientation dependence of ionization rates in germanium, ” Appl. Phys. Lett. 37, 387-389 (1980).
32. B. T. Dai and C. Y. Chang, “Temperature dependence of ionization rates in Ge, ” J. Appl. Phys. 42, 5198-5201 (1971).
33. A. Lacaita, P. A. Francese, S. Cova, and G. Ripamonti, “Single-photon optical time-domain reflectometer at 1.3 μm with 5*cm resolution and high sensitivity, ” Opt. Lett. 18, 1110-1112 (1993).
34. G. Ripamonti, M. Ghioni, and S. Vanoli, “Photon timing OTDR: A multiphoton backscattered pulse approach, ” Electron. Lett. 26, 1569-1570 (1990).