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arXiv:2609.17694

Efficiency-Resolved Recovery Dynamics of an Free-Running InGaAs/InP Single Photon Avalanche Detector Operated in Gated Mode

Bruno Santos Souza, Vitor Tavares, Filippo Ghiglieno, Celso Jorge Villas-Boas, Paulo Henrique Dias Ferreira

quant-phphysics.app-phphysics.ins-detSubmitted Sep 15, 2026• Announced Sep 17, 2026
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Abstract

Detection efficiency in gated-mode single-photon avalanche detectors recovers gradually after each gate edge, limiting attainable count rates, yet quantitative recovery models exist only for free-running operation. We extract the gated recovery time constant of a free-running InGaAs/InP detector at 1550 nm by sweeping the gate frequency from 100 kHz to 1 MHz and globally fitting count rates across four dead times, requiring neither a pulsed laser nor a time-to-digital converter. The recovery time decreases linearly with detection efficiency, from 301 to 161 ns between 10 % and 25 %, at 9.3 ns per percentage point. We further resolve a periodic count-rate modulation consistent with bias-dependent capacitive gate feedthrough.

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8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

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Detection efficiency in gated-mode single-photon avalanche detectors recovers gradually after each gate edge, limiting attainable count rates, yet quantitative recovery models exist only for free-running operation. We extract the gated recovery time constant of a free-running InGaAs/InP detector at 1550 nm by sweeping the gate frequency from 100 kHz to 1 MHz and globally fitting count rates across four dead times, requiring neither a pulsed laser nor a time-to-digital converter. The recovery time decreases linearly with detection efficiency, from 301 to 161 ns between 10 % and 25 %, at 9.3 ns per percentage point. We further resolve a periodic count-rate modulation consistent with bias-dependent capacitive gate feedthrough.
Abstract The challenges faced in a comparison of measuring the detection efficiency of free-running InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche detectors (InGaAs/InP SPAD) were studied by four European National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) meeting at a single laboratory. The main purpose of this study is to develop a trustable measurement technique and to provide a snapshot of the methods used by the four NMIs for measuring such photon-counting detectors at telecom wavelengths in order to establish proper procedures for characterising such devices. The detection efficiency measurements were performed using different experimental setups and reference standards with independent traceability chains at the wavelength of 1550 nm. A dedicated model to correct the dead time and dark count effects on the SPAD’s free-running counting process was developed, allowing the correct value of the photon rate impinging on the detector to be recovered from simple ratemeter measurements. The detection efficiency was measured for mean photon number per pulse between 0.01 and 2.4, corresponding to photon rates between approximately 1100 photon/s and 193,000 photon/s, respectively. We found that the measured values reported by the participants are all consistent within the stated uncertainties, proving the consistency of the measurement approach developed.
In our recent experiment, we have designed a novel single-photon detecting module for quantum key distribution using an InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode with gate-mode quenched photo-detection. At a repetition rate of 100 kHz and the working temperature of -60°C, we obtained the detection efficiency η higher than 10% and 20% at the dark probability Pd about 1.3×10-5 and 1.6×10-5 per nanosecond, respectively. Also at 100 kHz, we got the best ratio of Pd/η as 1.7×10-3 per pulse (20 ns). And at a lower repetition such as 10 kHz, we obtained Pd/η as 8.9×10-4 per pulse.
We demonstrate high-speed and low-noise near-infrared single-photon detection by using a capacitance balancing circuit to achieve a high spike noise suppression for an InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode. The single-photon detector could operate at a tunable gate repetition rate from 10 to 60 MHz. A peak detection efficiency of 34% has been achieved with a dark count rate of 9 × 10⁻³ per gate when the detection window was set to 1 ns. Additionally, quantum detector tomography has also been performed at 60 MHz of repetition rate and for the detection window of 1 ns, enabling to witness the quantum features of the detector with the help of a negative Wigner function. By varying the bias voltage of the detector, we further demonstrated a transition from the full-quantum to semi-classical regime.
The implementation and commercialization of quantum cryptography technologies have to face some challenges related to the development of single-photon detectors operating at 1550 nm. The main requirements are: i) high detection efficiency; ii) low noise; iii) high count rate; iv) low timing jitter. Different technologies are currently available for single-photon detection at 1550 nm, but semiconductor devices (like Single-Photon Avalanche Diode, SPAD) offer a photon detection efficiency that is inherently higher than any photocathode employed in vacuum tube detectors. Additionally InGaAs/InP SPADs can detect single photons at 1550 nm with low noise when moderately cooled by means of thermo-electric coolers. Consequently, InGaAs/InP SPAD can be the enabling technology of practical quantum key distribution (QKD) systems, provided that the maximum count rate is increased above 1 Mcps. The main limit is the afterpulsing effect that usually sets too long (< 10 μs) a hold-off time after each avalanche ignition. We present the developments achieved in InGaAs/InP SPAD device design, fabrication technology and front-end electronics, aimed at decreasing the afterpulsing effect, while not impairing photon detection efficiency and timing jitter. The new InGaAs/InP SPADs provide count rates higher than 1 Mcps and temporal response with 60 ps Full-Width at Half Maximum and very short (30 ps time constant) tail. The front-end electronics includes a wide-band pulse generator able to gate the SPAD up to 133 MHz repetition rate. Eventually, a fast avalanche-quenching scheme minimizes quenching time to less than 1 ns, thus effectively reducing afterpulsing by decreasing the total charge flowing through the junction.
Free-running single photon detectors at telecom wavelengths are attractive for many tasks in quantum optics. However, until recently, the convenient and compact InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes did not operate with satisfactory performance in this regime due to high dark count rates and afterpulsing effects. Recent development of negative feedback avalanche diodes (NFADs) enabled very fast passive quenching of the avalanche current, effectively reducing the afterpulse probability and subsequently allowing free-running operation. Here, we present analysis of NFAD operation at low temperatures, down to 163 K, which reveals a significant reduction of the dark count rate. We succeeded in developing a compact single photon detection system with a dark count rate of ~1 cps at 10% detection efficiency. To ensure that the NFAD is in a well-defined initial condition during the characterization of the detection efficiency and afterpulsing, we use a recently developed FPGA based test procedure suitable for free-running detectors. To demonstrate the performance of the detector in a real-world application we integrate it into a 1.25 GHz clocked quantum key distribution system. An optimization of the detector temperature allowed secret key distribution in the presence of more than 30 dB of loss in the quantum channel.
We implement an InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) for single-photon detection with the fastest gating frequency reported so far, of 2.23GHz, which approaches the limit given by the bandwidth of the SPAD - 2.5 GHz. We propose a useful way to characterize the afterpulsing distribution for rapid gating that allows for easy comparison with conventional gating regimes. We compare the performance of this rapid gating scheme with free-running detector and superconducting single-photon detector (SSPD) for the coherent one-way quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol. The rapid gating system is well suited for both high-rate and long-distance QKD applications, in which Mbps key rates can be achieved for distances less than 40km with 50 ns deadtime and the maximum distance is limited to ~190km with 5 μs deadtime. These results illustrate that the afterpulsing is no longer a limiting factor for QKD.