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Review of Scientific Instruments

Scalable multiplexed detector system for high-rate telecom-band single-photon detection

G. Brida, Ivo Pietro Degiovanni, Fabrizio Piacentini, Valentina Schettini, Sergey V. Polyakov, Alan L. Migdall

Published Nov 1, 2009• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present an actively multiplexed photon-counting detection system at telecom wavelengths that overcomes the difficulties of photon-counting at high rates. We find that for gated detectors, the heretofore unconsidered deadtime associated with the detector gate is a critical parameter, that limits the overall scalability of the scheme to just a few detectors. We propose and implement a new scheme that overcomes this problem and restores full scalability that allows an order of magnitude improvement with systems with as few as 4 detectors. When using just two multiplexed detectors, our experimental results show a 5x improvement over a single detector and a greater than 2x improvement over multiplexed schemes that do not consider gate deadtime.

DOI
10.1063/1.3247907

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We present an actively multiplexed photon-counting detection system at telecom wavelengths that overcomes the difficulties of photon-counting at high rates. We find that for gated detectors, the heretofore unconsidered deadtime associated with the detector gate is a critical parameter, that limits the overall scalability of the scheme to just a few detectors. We propose and implement a new scheme that overcomes this problem and restores full scalability that allows an order of magnitude improvement with systems with as few as 4 detectors. When using just two multiplexed detectors, our experimental results show a 5x improvement over a single detector and a greater than 2x improvement over multiplexed schemes that do not consider gate deadtime.
As the quantum information field advances, the need for improved single-photon devices is becoming more critical. Quantum information systems are often limited by detector deadtime to count rates of a few MHz, at best. We present a multiplexed detection scheme that allows photon counting at higher rates than possible with single detectors. The system uses an array of detectors and an optical switch system to direct incoming photons to detectors known to be live. We model the system for realistic individual detector deadtimes and optical switching times. We show that such a system offers more promise than simply reducing the deadtime of an individual detector. We find that a system of N detectors with a given deadtime, can count photons at faster rates than a single detector with a deadtime reduced by 1/N, even if it were practical to make such a large improvement.
We present a scheme for a photon-counting detection system that can be operated at incident photon rates higher than otherwise possible by suppressing the effects of detector deadtime. The method uses an array of N detectors and a 1-by-N optical switch with a control circuit to direct input light to live detectors. Our calculations and models highlight the advantages of the technique. In particular, using this scheme, a group of N detectors provides an improvement in operation rate that can exceed the improvement that would be obtained by a single detector with deadtime reduced by 1/N, even if it were feasible to produce a single detector with such a large improvement in deadtime. We model the system for continuous and pulsed light sources, both of which are important for quantum metrology and quantum key distribution applications.
We discuss the difficulties of photon-counting at extremely high rates and introduce a scheme for a photon-counting detection system that addresses these difficulties. The method uses an array of N detectors and a 1-by-N optical switch with a control circuit to direct input light to live detectors. We compare performance of our system to other, passive detection systems and show that our detection system can handle incident photon rates higher than otherwise possible by suppressing the effects of detector deadtime. To support this claim, we present results of theoretical analysis and a proof-of- concept experiment. In particular, both calculations and the experiment prove that a group of intelligently managed N detectors provides an improvement in operation rate that can exceed the improvement that would be obtained by either a single detector with deadtime reduced by 1/N, even if it were feasible to produce a single detector with such a large improvement in deadtime, or a passive beamsplitter tree system with N detectors. In addition to deadtime reduction, our scheme reduces afterpulsing as well as background counts (such as dark counts). We conclude that an intelligent active management of a group of N detectors is the best arrangement of photon-counting detectors to handle high photon rates, an important technological challenge for fast developing quantum metrology and quantum key distribution applications.
We present a scheme for a photon-counting detection system that can be operated at incident photon rates higher than otherwise possible by suppressing the effects of detector deadtime. The method uses an array of N detectors and a 1-by-N optical switch with a control circuit to direct input light to live detectors. Our calculations and models highlight the advantages of the technique. In particular, using this scheme, a group of N detectors provides an improvement in operation rate that can exceed the improvement that would be obtained by a single detector with deadtime reduced by 1/N, even if it were feasible to produce a single detector with such a large improvement in deadtime. We model the system for continuous and pulsed light sources, both of which are important for quantum metrology and quantum key distribution applications.
We present the design and construction of a high-speed telecom-band (1.5 μm) single-photon counting system based on an InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode (APD) operating in the gated Geiger mode. The detector can be gated at high speeds (we examine its performance up to 25 MHz) to maximize the counting rate in long-distance, telecom-band, fiber-optic quantum communication applications. Narrow gate pulses (250 ps full width at half maximum) are used to reduce the dark-count and the after-pulse probability. In order to count the avalanche events, we employ a high-speed comparator to sample the unfiltered and unamplified avalanche photocurrent. The APD and all the associated electronics are integrated onto a printed circuit board with a computer interface. In addition, we cool the APD to -27°C to reduce the dark-count probability.
We present a free-running single photon detector for telecom wavelengths based on a negative feedback avalanche photodiode (NFAD). A dark count rate as low as 1 cps was obtained at a detection efficiency of 10%, with an afterpulse probability of 2.2% for 20 μs of deadtime. This was achieved by using an active hold-off circuit and cooling the NFAD with a free-piston stirling cooler down to temperatures of −110 °C. We integrated two detectors into a practical, 625 MHz clocked quantum key distribution system. Stable, real-time key distribution in the presence of 30 dB channel loss was possible, yielding a secret key rate of 350 bps.