An extremely low-noise heralded single-photon source: a breakthrough for quantum technologies

Low noise single-photon sources are a critical element for quantum technologies. We present a heralded single-photon source with an extremely low level of residual background photons, by implementing low-jitter detectors and electronics and a fast custom-made pulse generator controlling an optical shutter (a LiNbO3 waveguide optical switch) on the output of the source. This source has a second-order autocorrelation g^{(2)}(0)=0.005(7), and an "Output Noise Factor" (defined as the ratio of the number of noise photons to total photons at the source output channel) of 0.25(1)%. These are the best performance characteristics reported to date

Effect of temperature on superconducting nanowire single-photon detector noise

Today Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) are commonly used in different photon-starved applications, including testing and diagnostics of VLSI circuits. Detecting very faint signals in the near-infrared wavelength range requires not only good detection efficiency, but also very low Dark Count Rate (DCR) and jitter. For example, low noise is crucial to enable ultra-low voltage optical testing of integrated circuits. The effect of detector temperature and background thermal radiation on the noise of superconducting single-photon detectors made of NbN meanders is studied in this paper. It is shown that two different regimes can be identified in the DCR vs. bias current characteristics. At high bias, the dark count rate is dominated by the intrinsic noise of the detector, while at low bias current it is dominated by the detection of stray photons that get onto the SNSPD. Changing the detector temperature changes its switching current and only affects the high bias branch of the characteristics: a reduction of the DCR can be achieved by lowering the SNSPD base temperature. On the other hand, changing the temperature of the single-photon light source (e.g. the VLSI circuit under test) only affects the low bias regime: a lower target temperature leads to a smaller DCR. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.United States. Air Force Research Laboratory. Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA ) (contract number FA8650-11-C_7105

Fully programmable single-photon detection module for InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes with clean and sub-nanosecondgating transitions

We present the design and characterization of a modern near-infrared photon counting module, able to exploit the best performance of InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes for the detection of fast and faint optical signals up to 1.7 μm. Such instrument is suitable for many applications, thanks to the user-friendly interface and the fully adjustable settings of all operating parameters. We extensively characterized both the electronics and the detector, and we validated such instrument up to 133 MHz gate repetition frequency, for photon-counting and photon-timing applications, with very clean temporal response and excellent timing performance of less than 100 ps

Photon counting module based on InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes for near-infrared counting up to 1.7 µm

InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) have good performance to be successfully employed in many applications that demand single photon detection in the 1 - 1.7 μm wavelength range. However, in order to fully exploit such detectors, they have to be operated in optimized working conditions using dedicated electronics. We present the design and experimental characterization of a high-performance compact detection module able to operate at best InGaAs/InP SPADs. The module includes a pulse generator for gating the detector, a front-end circuit for avalanche sensing, a fast circuitry for detector quenching and resetting and some sub-circuits for signal conditioning. Experimental measurements prove the state-of-the-art performance and its great flexibility to fit the different applications

InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode with narrow photon timing response

We present the performances of new InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) for photon counting and timing operation up to about 1700 nm. They have been designed to achieve good detection efficiency, low afterpulsing and very good timing performances. When they are operated at 200 K, with 5 V of excess bias, they show a detection efficiency of more than 25% and a dark count rate of about 6 kcps. The timing performances (particularly the “sharpness” of the timing response) reaches the new state-of-the-art: full-width at half maximum of about 90 ps and a full-width at 1/1000 of maximum of less than 460 ps, thus allowing to acquire optical waveforms with very wide dynamic ranges in TCSPC measurements

Compact detection module based on InGaAs/InP SPADs for near-infrared single-photon counting up to 1.7 µm

InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) have good enough performance to be successfully employed in many applications that demand to detect single photons in the 1 – 1.7 μm wavelength range. However, in order to fully exploit such InGaAs/InP SPADs, it is mandatory to operate them in optimized working conditions by means of dedicated electronics. We present the design and experimental characterization of a high-performance compact detection module able to operate at best InGaAs/InP SPADs. The module contains a pulse generator for gating the detector, a front-end circuit for avalanche sensing, a fast circuitry for detector quenching and resetting, a counting electronics, and some subcircuits for signal conditioning. Experimental measurements prove the state-of-the-art performance and its great flexibility to adapt it to the different applications

Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy up to 1700 nm : a Time-Resolved Analysis Using an InGaAs / InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode

Time-resolved spectroscopy has been exploited mostly up to 1100 nm: our system reaches up to 1700 nm, thanks to a supercontinuum laser source and an InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode. A first in-vivo application is presented

Time-Resolved Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy up to 1700 nm by Means of a Time-Gated InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode

We present a new compact system for time-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy of highly scattering media operating in the wavelength range from 1100 nm to 1700 nm. So far, this technique has been exploited mostly up to 1100 nm: we extended the spectral range by means of a pulsed supercontinuum light source at a high repetition rate, a prism to spectrally disperse the radiation, and a time-gated InGaAs/InP singlephoton avalanche diode working up to 1700 nm. A time-correlated singlephoton counting board was used as processing electronics. The system is characterized by linear behavior up to absorption values of about 3.4 cm1 where the relative error is 17%. A first measurement performed on lipids is presented: the absorption spectrum shows three major peaks at 1200 nm, 1400 nm, and 1700 nm

Optical Spectroscopy up to 1700 nm: a Time-Resolved Approach Combined with an InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode

Time-resolved spectroscopy has been exploited mostly up to 1100 nm: our system reaches up to 1700 nm, thanks to a supercontinuum laser source and an InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode. A first in-vivo application is presented

Time-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy up to 1700 nm using an InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode

Time domain diffuse optical spectroscopy provides the absorption and scattering properties of biological tissues and diffusive materials. Few measurements are available at discrete wavelengths beyond 1100 nm, and just one time-domain system continuously tuneable up to 1400 nm. We developed a time-domain system, based on a continuously tuneable supercontinuum pulsed source, and a custom InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode. Operation was demonstrated in the 1100-1700 nm range with a spectral resolution of 15 nm, a temporal resolution of 150 ps and a background of 6000 counts/s. A first example of application on the optical characterization of collagen powder is given