Recent progress of SiC UV single photon counting avalanche photodiodes

4H-SiC single photon counting avalanche photodiodes(SPADs)are prior devices for weak ultraviolet(UV)signal detection with the advantages of small size,low leakage current,high avalanche multiplication gain,and high quantum efficiency,which benefit from the large bandgap energy,high carrier drift velocity and excellent physical stability of 4 H-SiC semiconductor material.UV detectors are widely used in many key applications,such as missile plume detection,corona discharge,UV astronomy,and biological and chemical agent detection.In this paper,we will describe basic concepts and review recent results on device design,process development,and basic characterizations of 4 H-SiC avalanche photodiodes.Several promising device structures and uniformity of avalanche multiplication are discussed,which are important for achieving high performance of 4 HSiC UV SPADs.

The intensity detection of single-photon detectors based on photon counting probability density statistics

Single-photon detectors possess the ultra-high sensitivity, but they cannot directly respond to signal intensity. Conven- tional methods adopt sampling gates with fixed width and count the triggered number of sampling gates, which is capable of obtaining photon counting probability to estimate the echo signal intensity. In this paper, we not only count the number of triggered sampling gates, but also record the triggered time position of photon counting pulses. The photon counting probability density distribution is obtained through the statistics of a series of the triggered time positions. Then Minimum Variance Unbiased Estimation （MVUE） method is used to estimate the echo signal intensity. Compared with conventional methods, this method can improve the estimation accuracy of echo signal intensity due to the acquisition of more detected information. Finally, a proof-of-principle laboratory system is established. The estimation accuracy of echo signal intensity is discussed and a high accuracy intensity image is acquired under low-light level environments.

Detailed calibration of the PI-LCX：1300 high performance single photon counting hard x-ray CCD camera

X-ray charge-coupled-device（CCD） camera working in single photon counting mode is a type of x-ray spectrometer with high-sensitivity and superior signal-to-noise performance. In this study, two single photon counting CCD cameras with the same mode（model： PI-LCX： 1300） are calibrated with quasi-monochromatic x-rays from radioactive sources and a conventional x-ray tube. The details of the CCD response to x-rays are analyzed by using a computer program of multi-pixel analyzing and event-distinguishing capability. The detection efficiency, energy resolution, fraction of multi-pixel events each as a function of x-ray energy, and consistence of two CCD cameras are obtained. The calibrated detection efficiency is consistent with the detection efficiency from Monte Carlo calculations with XOP program. When the multi-pixel event analysis is applied, the CCDs may be used to measure x-rays up to 60 ke V with good energy resolution（E /？E ≈ 100 at60 ke V）. The difference in detection efficiency between two CCD cameras is small（5.6% at 5.89 ke V）, but the difference in fraction of the single pixel event between them is much larger（25% at 8.04 ke V）. The obtained small relative error of detection efficiency（2.4% at 5.89 ke V） makes the high accurate measurement of x-ray yield possible in the laser plasma interaction studies. Based on the discrete calibration results, the calculated detection efficiency with XOP can be used for the whole range of 5 ke V–30 ke V.

Dark count rate and band to band tunneling optimization for single photon avalanche diode topologies

This paper proposes two optimal designs of single photon avalanche diodes(SPADs) minimizing dark count rate(DCR). The first structure is introduced as p^+/pwell/nwell, in which a specific shallow pwell layer is added between p^+and nwell layers to decrease the electric field below a certain threshold. The simulation results show on average 19.7%and 8.5% reduction of p^+/nwell structure’s DCR comparing with similar previous structures in different operational excess bias and temperatures respectively. Moreover, a new structure is introduced as n+/nwell/pwell, in which a specific shallow nwell layer is added between n+and pwell layers to lower the electric field below a certain threshold. The simulation results show on average 29.2% and 5.5% decrement of p^+/nwell structure’s DCR comparing with similar previous structures in different operational excess bias and temperatures respectively. It is shown that in higher excess biases(about 6 volts), the n+/nwell/pwell structure is proper to be integrated as digital silicon photomultiplier(dSiPM) due to low DCR. On the other hand, the p^+/pwell/nwell structure is appropriate to be utilized in dSiPM in high temperatures(above 50?C) due to lower DCR value.

High photon detection efficiency InGaAs/InP single photon avalanche diode at 250 K

Planar semiconductor InGaAs/InP single photon avalanche diodes with high responsivity and low dark count rate are preferred single photon detectors in near-infrared communication.However,even with well-designed structures and well-con-trolled operational conditions,the performance of InGaAs/InP SPADs is limited by the inherent characteristics of avalanche pro-cess and the growth quality of InGaAs/InP materials.It is difficult to ensure high detection efficiency while the dark count rate is controlled within a certain range at present.In this paper,we fabricated a device with a thick InGaAs absorption region and an anti-reflection layer.The quantum efficiency of this device reaches 83.2%.We characterized the single-photon performance of the device by a quenching circuit consisting of parallel-balanced InGaAs/InP single photon detectors and single-period sinus-oidal pulse gating.The spike pulse caused by the capacitance effect of the device is eliminated by using the characteristics of parallel balanced common mode signal elimination,and the detection of small avalanche pulse amplitude signal is realized.The maximum detection efficiency is 55.4%with a dark count rate of 43.8 kHz and a noise equivalent power of 6.96×10^(−17 )W/Hz^(1/2) at 247 K.Compared with other reported detectors,this SPAD exhibits higher SPDE and lower noise-equivalent power at a higher cooling temperature.

Internal cancellation of spikes using two avalanche photodiodes in series for single photon detection

We propose a method of improving the performance of InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes by using two avalanche photodiodes in series as single photon detectors for 1550-nm wavelength. In this method, the raw single photon avalanche signals are not attenuated, thus a high signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained compared with the existing results. The performance of the scheme is investigated and the ratio of the dark count rate to the detection efficiency is obtained to be 1.3×10^-4 at 213 K.

Numerical analysis of In_(0.53) Ga_(0.47) As/InP single photon avalanche diodes

A rigorous theoretical model for Ino.53Gao.47As/InP single photon avalanche diode is utilized to investigate the dependences of single photon quantum efficiency and dark count probability on structure and operation condition. In the model, low field impact ionizations in charge and absorption layers are allowed, while avalanche breakdown can occur only in the multiplication layer. The origin of dark counts is discussed and the results indicate that the dominant mechanism that gives rise to dark counts depends on both device structure and operating condition. When the multiplication layer is thicker than a critical thickness or the temperature is higher than a critical value, generation-recombination in the absorption layer is the dominative mechanism; otherwise band-to-band tunneling in the multiplication layer dominates the dark counts. The thicknesses of charge and multiplication layers greatly affect the dark count and the peak single photon quantum efficiency and increasing the multiplication layer width may reduce the dark count probability and increase the peak single photon quantum efficiency. However, when the multiplication layer width exceeds 1 μm, the peak single photon quantum efficiency increases slowly and it is finally saturated at the quantum efficiency of the single photon avalanche diodes.

Single-photon microwave photonics

With the rapid development of microwave photonics technology, high-speed processing and ultra-weak signal detection capability have become the main bottlenecks in many applications. Thanks to the ultraweak signal detection capability and the extremely low timing jitter properties of single-photon detectors, the combination of single-photon detection and classical microwave photonics technology may provide a solution to break the above bottlenecks. In this paper, we first report a novel concept of singlephoton microwave photonics(SP-MWP), a SP-MWP signal processing system with phase shifting and frequency filtering functionalities is demonstrated based on a superconducting nanowire single photon detector(SNSPD) and a successive time-correlated single photon counting(TCSPC) module.Experimental results show that an ultrahigh optical sensitivity down to-100 d Bm has been achieved,and the signal processing bandwidth is only limited by the timing jitter of single-photon detectors. In the meantime, the proposed system demonstrates an ultrahigh anti-interference capability, only the signal which is phase locked by the trigger signal in TCSPC can be extracted from the detected signals combining with noise and strong interference. The proposed SP-MWP concept paves a way to a novel interdisciplinary field of microwave photonics and quantum mechanism, named by quantum microwave photonics.

室温下高探测效率InGaAsP/InP单光子雪崩二极管

描述了一种高性能平面InGaAsP/InP单光子雪崩二极管(SPAD),该二极管具有单独的吸收、分级、电荷和倍增(SAGCM)异质结构。通过电场调节和缺陷控制,SPAD在293 K的门控模式下工作,光子探测效率(PDE)为70%,暗计数率(DCR)为14.93 kHz,后脉冲概率(APP)为0.89%。此外,在死区时间为200 ns的主动淬灭模式下工作时,室温下实现了12.49%的PDE和72.29 kHz的DCR。

一种对高速运动目标的单光子测距方法

作为一种前沿的激光探测技术,单光子激光测距技术已成功应用于月球测距、卫星测距和地面测高等领域。然而,单光子测距在机载空对空、地对空平台上对高速运动目标进行跟踪测距时,回波光子落在不同的时间窗,导致直接计数无法有效提取信号的问题仍需解决。针对空对空条件下单光子激光测距的应用需求,基于时间相关光子计数技术设计一种适用于全天时、宽时域、多噪声条件下对高速运动目标的单光子测距方法。该方法采用阵列单光子探测器和相邻时间窗相关统计多帧处理算法提取激光回波光子信号,并在Matlab平台上对算法进行仿真实验,使用多元阵列单光子探测器实现最大测程百公里以上、背景噪声计数率约为5 MHz、单脉冲回波光子计数平均值为1条件下的回波光子信号提取。该方法能够克服传统单光子探测只能对准静态目标测距,只能在小接收视场和小波门范围等弱背景噪声及目标轨迹可预测条件下应用的限制,将单光子探测由只能固定平台夜晚对准静态目标测距推广至通用平台全天时对高速运动目标测距。

基于自研ASIC芯片HEPS中硅微条探测器读出电子学原型系统设计与测试

时间分辨X射线粉末衍射技术是探测物质晶体结构及其演变的重要手段。单光子计数型硅微条探测器因其灵敏度高和死时间低,在高能同步辐射光源(HEPS)的X射线粉末衍射实验中发挥着重要作用。研制适用于单光子计数型一维硅微条探测器的专用ASIC读出芯片(SSDROC)及其读出电子学系统,并采用一种新标定方法解决了SSDROC各通道对同一输入输出响应不一致的问题,该方法可显著提高各通道数据一致性并减小衍射实验数据的统计误差。探测器完成各项性能测试,结果表明整体系统线性优秀、能量分辨能力强、噪声低以及计数率高,为将来大覆盖角度一维硅微条探测器系统研制奠定坚实基础。

单光子激光雷达技术发展现状与趋势

随着单光子探测器件及技术的快速发展,具有光子级高灵敏度探测能力的单光子激光雷达已成为研究热点,并在遥感测绘、智能驾驶和消费电子等领域发挥日益重要的作用。本文聚焦于采用单光子雪崩光电二极管探测器的激光雷达技术与系统,介绍了脉冲累积、编码调制和啁啾调制三种单光子激光雷达探测原理。考虑到单光子探测器与处理算法的重要性,概述了单光子探测器的发展现状,以及典型的信号处理算法,并梳理了单光子激光雷达在远距离探测、复杂场景探感、星载/机载测绘遥感、智能驾驶导航避障和消费电子3D感知等领域的应用情况和典型系统实例。最后,分析展望了单光子激光雷达技术在器件、算法、系统和应用领域的未来发展趋势及面临的潜在挑战。

单光子计数太赫兹雷达直接探测方法与性能研究

针对远距离非合作目标探测,现有太赫兹雷达由于受到发射机功率低、大气衰减效应等因素影响,其作用距离有限,难以满足对目标的预警探测应用需求。为提升太赫兹雷达探测能力,该文研究了基于单光子探测技术的目标超灵敏探测方法,利用单光子探测器替代传统雷达接收机,有望显著提升太赫兹雷达的作用距离。首先,该文分析了太赫兹单光子雷达信号光子数的统计规律,从微观角度阐述了目标的回波特性,进一步,结合超导量子电容探测器的特点,建立了太赫兹单光子目标探测模型;此外,推导得到太赫兹单光子雷达目标检测性能数学表达式,并通过仿真实验对目标检测性能进行了验证和分析,获得了雷达检测性能曲线;最后开展了时间分辨太赫兹光子计数原理验证实验,通过回波脉冲计数的方式实现了目标高精度测距。该文工作将为太赫兹频段超灵敏探测技术及单光子雷达系统的研究与发展提供支撑。

Full-waveform fast correction method for photon counting Lidar

The first photon bias of photon detection results in distortion of the photon waveform,which seriously affects the accurate acquisition of target information.A rapid universal recursive correction method is proposed,which is suitable for multi-trigger and single-trigger modes of photon detection.The calculation time is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude faster than that of Xu et al.'s method.In the experiment,we have obtained good correction results for area targets and targets with varying depths.When the average number of echo photons is 0.89,the correlation distance of the correction waveform is reduced by 85%.

An accurate simulation model for single-photon avalanche diodes including important statistical effects

An accurate and complete circuit simulation model for single-photon avalanche diodes （SPADs） is presented. The derived model is not only able to simulate the static DC and dynamic AC behaviors of an SPAD operating in Geiger-mode, but also can emulate the second breakdown and the forward bias behaviors. In particular, it considers important statistical effects, such as dark-counting and after-pulsing phenomena. The developed model is implemented using the Verilog-A description language and can be directly performed in commercial simulators such as Cadence Spectre. The Spectre simulation results give a very good agreement with the experimental results reported in the open literature. This model shows a high simulation accuracy and very fast simulation rate.

光子计数激光测距技术研究

光子计数激光雷达采用了灵敏度极高的单光子探测器,能够将激光雷达系统的灵敏度提高2—3个数量级,具有极大的发展潜力和技术优势。介绍和分析了光子计数激光测距技术的基本原理和优点。设计了光子计数激光雷达实验系统,采用盖革模式的雪崩二极管(Geiger-mode APD),开展了测距验证实验。实验结果表明,采用光子计数激光测距能够在单光子灵敏度和强噪声背景条件下,获取目标的距离信息,距离测量精度达到6.23 cm。

基于盖格-雪崩光电二极管的光子计数成像

考虑用传统的成像技术检测光生电荷信号时易受模数转换噪声干扰,本文提出了一种基于单光子灵敏雪崩光电二极管(GM-APD)的光子计数成像方法。该方法以单光子灵敏GM-APD作为探测单元,以全数字化方式实现微弱光学信号的有效检测。建立了GM-APD光子流响应模型,利用马尔科夫更新过程分析了光子探测盲区对GM-APD瞬态响应的影响,得到了GM-APD输出的数字脉冲频率与光子流密度之间的关联表达式。搭建了二维扫描成像实验验证装置,通过实验得到了不同密度光子流条件下的光子计数图像。采用标准化互信息量分析得到,在光子流密度为3.0×104count/s的条件下,该实验装置仍然可以实现可视成像;当光子流密度达到2.7×105 count/s时,标准化互信息量大于0.5;实现了在低光子流密度时采用光子计数方式对目标物体的有效成像。

基于光子计数激光雷达的时域去噪

激光雷达传统的成像方法需要经过长时间积分探测生成光子计数统计直方图的方式来减少背景噪声的影响,获得目标场景的深度估计信息。为了快速准确地获取目标场景的3D图像,提出基于光子计数激光雷达的三维距离图像时域去噪算法。该算法不需要生成光子计数统计直方图,利用信号和噪声在时间轴上不同的分布特性,结合了泊松过程统计规律。此算法提高了信号的探测概率,能够在低信噪比的环境下将信号和噪声分离,获得目标场景准确的3D图像。实验结果表明在低信噪比的条件下,此算法获得深度图像的RMSE与传统基于最大似然估计成像方法相比成像精度至少提高了3倍。有利于激光雷达三维成像在高背景噪声环境下的使用,拓宽了激光雷达的应用范围。

超短脉冲X射线激发荧光寿命谱仪的设计与研制

介绍了一种利用超短脉冲X射线作为激发光源,用时间关联单光子计数法进行测量的荧光衰减时间谱仪的设计与研制。该仪器具有时间分辨率高、测量动态范围大、使用方便等优点,可应用于晶体、粉末和液体等各种样品的测量,该仪器同时还具有很强的扩展性。

皮秒时间相关单光子计数光谱仪的核心技术

研制的皮秒时间相关单光子计数光谱仪利用时间相关单光子计数 (TCSPC)技术 ,采用了具有分光时间弥散动态和静态补偿特性的光栅分光系统 ,解决了传统分光系统的光信号时间弥散问题 ;使用多道谱分析仪开设时间窗口 ,测量荧光衰减曲线和时间分辨光谱 ;用荧光衰减曲线的多指数拟合方法处理数据。给出了光谱仪的原理和总体方案 ,介绍了系统的集成和工作流程。通过各种标准样品的试验数据分析和对比 ,得出系统所测荧光寿命可达到 ps量级 ,而且具有最高的灵敏度———单光子计数 ,时间分辨率达到 8 8ps。