Single photon detection with silicon-based avalanche photodiode

Abstract

Thanks to the significant advances in quantum technologies, the use of single photon detectors (SPDs) is becoming increasingly common. As a result of the excellent photodetection performance of these detectors, they have been utilized in a wide range of fields such as quantum cryptography, astronomy, spectroscopy, and medical applications. There is no doubt that improvements in the performance of these detectors will open new paths to their multidisciplinary applications. Over the years, several different types of SPDs have been developed, such as photomultiplier tubes based on vacuum tubes, avalanche photodiodes (APDs) based on semiconductors, or nanowires based on superconducting technology. Any of these technologies, which are also commercially offered by many companies, has been used according to their advantages and disadvantages for intended applications by making a trade-off. At that point, SPDs based on Silicon APD technology have many advantages including low voltage operation, high reliability, simple electronic requirements, and high detection efficiency. In this study, the TO-8 SAP500 series Silicon APD provided by Laser Component was preferred, and the driving circuit was designed for visible-range sensing applications. The quenching and thermoelectric cooling circuit designs were presented, and the performance of the detector was analyzed according to some important parameters. Our motivation is to investigate the CubeSat compatibility of the detector for space applications.