We present a compact detection head based on a 32x1 array of Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD) and associated electronics for time tagging single photons (photon counting) with 3μs time-resolution, with high photon detection efficiency (45% at 450nm) and sharp photon-timing resolution (55 ps). The array is composed by 32 "smart" pixels, working in photon-counting mode, with fully parallel and synchronous acquisition. The array is driven by an FPGA able to acquire data from the sensor and to upload them to a remote PC via an USB 2.0 link, for real-time continuous acquisition up to 312.5 kframe/s. The module is bus-powered for convenient use with laptops, and provides also direct timing outputs from two pixels for time-resolved measurements (photon timing).

Date Published: 26 January 2009
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7222, Quantum Sensing and Nanophotonic Devices VI, 72221H (26 January 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.807113

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7222:
Quantum Sensing and Nanophotonic Devices VI
Manijeh Razeghi; Rengarajan Sudharsanan; Gail J. Brown, Editor(s)