Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Acta Physica Sinica

Temporal filtering characteristics of gated InGaAs/InP single-photon detectors for coincidence measurement

Yaqing Jin, Ruifang Dong, Runai Quan, Xiao Xiang, Tao Liu, Shougang Zhang

Published Dec 15, 2020• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Semiconductor single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) have played an important role in practical quantum communication technology due to their advantages of small size, low cost and easy operation. Among them, InGaAs/InP SPADs have been widely used in fiber-optic quantum key distribution systems due to their response wavelength range in a near-infrared optical communication band. In order to avoid the influence of dark count and afterpulsing on single photon detection, the gated quenching technologies are widely applied to the InGaAs/InP SPADs. Typically, the duration of gate pulse is set to be as short as a few nanoseconds or even less. As the detection of the arrival of single photons depends on the coincidence between the arrival time of gate pulse and the arrival time of photon, the gate pulse duration of the InGaAs/InP SPADs inevitably affects the effective detection of the single photons. Without the influence of dispersion, the temporal width of the transmitted photons is usually on the order of picoseconds or even less, which is much shorter than the gate width of the InGaAs/InP SPAD. Therefore, the gate width normally has no influence on the temporal measurement of the detected photons. However, in quantum systems involving large dispersion, such as the long-distance fiber-optic quantum communication system, the temporal width of the transmitted photons is significantly broadened by the experienced dispersion so that it may approach to or even exceed the gate width of the single-photon detector. As a result, the effect of the gate width on the recording of the arrival time of the dispersed photons should be taken into account. In this paper, the influence of the gate width coupled to the InGaAs/InP single photon detectors on the measurement of the two-photon coincidence time width is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical analysis and experimental results are in good agreement with each other, showing that the finally measured coincidence time width of the two-photon state after dispersion is not more than half of the effective gate pulses width. The maximum observable coincidence time width based on the gated single photon detector is fundamentally limited by the gate width, which restricts its applications in quantum information processing based on the two-photon temporal correlation measurement.

DOI
10.7498/aps.70.20201648

Related papers

Single-photon detectors for practical quantum cryptography

Alberto Tosi, Franco Zappa, S. Cova

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.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Nov 19, 2012•14 citations

Afterpulsing reduction in InGaAs/InP SPADs with a compact, high-speed quenching circuit

Fabio Signorelli, Enrico Conca, Fabio Telesca +2 more

InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) are widely employed in quantum optics applications, particularly in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), due to their high sensitivity in the near-infrared range. In QKD, low noise and high timing resolution are essential to ensure secure and high-rate key exchange. One of the main limitations of InGaAs/InP SPADs is afterpulsing, which degrades the quantum bit error rate (QBER), limits the maximum count rate, and can compromise both the security and throughput of QKD systems. Reducing afterpulsing is thus crucial for enabling high-speed, reliable quantum communication. We present a newly developed gating and quenching circuit that significantly reduces afterpulsing. The circuit is located entirely outside the detector package, maintaining compatibility with any InGaAs/InP SPAD, and supports both gated and free-running operation. Unlike integrated ASIC-based solutions, which offer low parasitics but are often limited by process constraints (e.g., low maximum voltages), our approach uses high-speed discrete components, allowing high excess bias operation and design flexibility. While discrete designs are typically more prone to parasitics, our compact layout effectively mitigates these effects and preserves signal integrity. Experimental results show a strong afterpulsing reduction compared to our current commercial module. Additionally, the measured SPAD current highlights that the avalanche is completely quenched in less than a nanosecond after sensing. Eventually, the small footprint of the design paves the way for a new generation of compact, low-afterpulsing InGaAs/InP SPAD modules suitable for high-performance quantum optics applications.

Photonic Instrumentation Engineering•Mar 4, 2026•0 citations

2.23 GHz gating InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diode for quantum key distribution

Jun Zhang, Patrick Eraerds, Nino Walenta +3 more

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.

arXiv:1002.3240•Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Apr 20, 2010•68 citations

Design considerations of high-performance InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes for quantum key distribution

Jian Ma, Bing Bai, Liu-Jun Wang +4 more

InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are widely used in practical applications requiring near-infrared photon counting such as quantum key distribution (QKD). Photon detection efficiency and dark count rate are the intrinsic parameters of InGaAs/InP SPADs, due to the fact that their performances cannot be improved using different quenching electronics given the same operation conditions. After modeling these parameters and developing a simulation platform for InGaAs/InP SPADs, we investigate the semiconductor structure design and optimization. The parameters of photon detection efficiency and dark count rate highly depend on the variables of absorption layer thickness, multiplication layer thickness, excess bias voltage, and temperature. By evaluating the decoy-state QKD performance, the variables for SPAD design and operation can be globally optimized. Such optimization from the perspective of specific applications can provide an effective approach to design high-performance InGaAs/InP SPADs.

arXiv:1608.06355•Applied Optics•Sep 12, 2016•26 citations

Advances in InGaAs/InP single-photon detector systems for quantum communication

Jun Zhang, Mark A Itzler, Hugo Zbinden +1 more

Single-photon detectors (SPDs) are the most sensitive instruments for light detection. In the near-infrared range, SPDs based on III–V compound semiconductor avalanche photodiodes have been extensively used during the past two decades for diverse applications due to their advantages in practicality including small size, low cost and easy operation. In the past decade, the rapid developments and increasing demands in quantum information science have served as key drivers to improve the device performance of single-photon avalanche diodes and to invent new avalanche quenching techniques. This Review aims to introduce the technology advances of InGaAs/InP single-photon detector systems in the telecom wavelengths and the relevant quantum communication applications, and particularly to highlight recent emerging techniques such as high-frequency gating at GHz rates and free-running operation using negative-feedback avalanche diodes. Future perspectives of both the devices and quenching techniques are summarized. Recent progress in single-photon detectors for quantum communication based on III–V compound semiconductor avalanche photodiodes is reviewed. Specifically, Jun Zhang and Jian-Wei Pan at the University of Science and Technology of China and their colleagues in the USA and Switzerland introduce technological advances for InGaAs/InP single-photon detector systems in the telecommunication band along with their associated applications in quantum communication. III–V single-photon avalanche diodes are the most practical tools available for detecting ultraweak near-infrared light. The scientists overview important parameters for evaluating the performance of detector systems based on single-photon avalanche diodes and describe the experimental characterization of these parameters. They also consider emerging techniques, including high-frequency gating at gigahertz rates and free-running operation using negative-feedback avalanche diodes. Finally, the future prospects of these devices are considered.

arXiv:1501.06261•Light Science & Applications•May 8, 2015•441 citations

The avalanche delay effect in sine-gated single-photon detector based on InGaAs/InP SPADs

Alexandr A. Filyaev, Anton Losev, Vladimir Zavodilenko +1 more

A sine-gated single-photon detector (SPD) intended for use in a quantum key distribution (QKD) system is considered in this paper. An "avalanche delay" effect in the sine-gated SPD is revealed. This effect consists in the appearance of an avalanche triggered at the next gate after the photon arrival gate. It has been determined experimentally that the nature of this effect is not related to the known effects of afterpulsing or charge persistence. This effect negatively affects the overall error rate in the QKD system. The influence of the main detector control parameters, such as temperature, gate amplitude and comparator's threshold voltage, on the avalanche delay effect was experimentally established.

arXiv:2310.04281•Oct 6, 2023•0 citations
Semiconductor single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) have played an important role in practical quantum communication technology due to their advantages of small size, low cost and easy operation. Among them, InGaAs/InP SPADs have been widely used in fiber-optic quantum key distribution systems due to their response wavelength range in a near-infrared optical communication band. In order to avoid the influence of dark count and afterpulsing on single photon detection, the gated quenching technologies are widely applied to the InGaAs/InP SPADs. Typically, the duration of gate pulse is set to be as short as a few nanoseconds or even less. As the detection of the arrival of single photons depends on the coincidence between the arrival time of gate pulse and the arrival time of photon, the gate pulse duration of the InGaAs/InP SPADs inevitably affects the effective detection of the single photons. Without the influence of dispersion, the temporal width of the transmitted photons is usually on the order of picoseconds or even less, which is much shorter than the gate width of the InGaAs/InP SPAD. Therefore, the gate width normally has no influence on the temporal measurement of the detected photons. However, in quantum systems involving large dispersion, such as the long-distance fiber-optic quantum communication system, the temporal width of the transmitted photons is significantly broadened by the experienced dispersion so that it may approach to or even exceed the gate width of the single-photon detector. As a result, the effect of the gate width on the recording of the arrival time of the dispersed photons should be taken into account. In this paper, the influence of the gate width coupled to the InGaAs/InP single photon detectors on the measurement of the two-photon coincidence time width is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical analysis and experimental results are in good agreement with each other, showing that the finally measured coincidence time width of the two-photon state after dispersion is not more than half of the effective gate pulses width. The maximum observable coincidence time width based on the gated single photon detector is fundamentally limited by the gate width, which restricts its applications in quantum information processing based on the two-photon temporal correlation measurement.
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.
InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) are widely employed in quantum optics applications, particularly in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), due to their high sensitivity in the near-infrared range. In QKD, low noise and high timing resolution are essential to ensure secure and high-rate key exchange. One of the main limitations of InGaAs/InP SPADs is afterpulsing, which degrades the quantum bit error rate (QBER), limits the maximum count rate, and can compromise both the security and throughput of QKD systems. Reducing afterpulsing is thus crucial for enabling high-speed, reliable quantum communication. We present a newly developed gating and quenching circuit that significantly reduces afterpulsing. The circuit is located entirely outside the detector package, maintaining compatibility with any InGaAs/InP SPAD, and supports both gated and free-running operation. Unlike integrated ASIC-based solutions, which offer low parasitics but are often limited by process constraints (e.g., low maximum voltages), our approach uses high-speed discrete components, allowing high excess bias operation and design flexibility. While discrete designs are typically more prone to parasitics, our compact layout effectively mitigates these effects and preserves signal integrity. Experimental results show a strong afterpulsing reduction compared to our current commercial module. Additionally, the measured SPAD current highlights that the avalanche is completely quenched in less than a nanosecond after sensing. Eventually, the small footprint of the design paves the way for a new generation of compact, low-afterpulsing InGaAs/InP SPAD modules suitable for high-performance quantum optics applications.
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.
InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are widely used in practical applications requiring near-infrared photon counting such as quantum key distribution (QKD). Photon detection efficiency and dark count rate are the intrinsic parameters of InGaAs/InP SPADs, due to the fact that their performances cannot be improved using different quenching electronics given the same operation conditions. After modeling these parameters and developing a simulation platform for InGaAs/InP SPADs, we investigate the semiconductor structure design and optimization. The parameters of photon detection efficiency and dark count rate highly depend on the variables of absorption layer thickness, multiplication layer thickness, excess bias voltage, and temperature. By evaluating the decoy-state QKD performance, the variables for SPAD design and operation can be globally optimized. Such optimization from the perspective of specific applications can provide an effective approach to design high-performance InGaAs/InP SPADs.
Single-photon detectors (SPDs) are the most sensitive instruments for light detection. In the near-infrared range, SPDs based on III–V compound semiconductor avalanche photodiodes have been extensively used during the past two decades for diverse applications due to their advantages in practicality including small size, low cost and easy operation. In the past decade, the rapid developments and increasing demands in quantum information science have served as key drivers to improve the device performance of single-photon avalanche diodes and to invent new avalanche quenching techniques. This Review aims to introduce the technology advances of InGaAs/InP single-photon detector systems in the telecom wavelengths and the relevant quantum communication applications, and particularly to highlight recent emerging techniques such as high-frequency gating at GHz rates and free-running operation using negative-feedback avalanche diodes. Future perspectives of both the devices and quenching techniques are summarized. Recent progress in single-photon detectors for quantum communication based on III–V compound semiconductor avalanche photodiodes is reviewed. Specifically, Jun Zhang and Jian-Wei Pan at the University of Science and Technology of China and their colleagues in the USA and Switzerland introduce technological advances for InGaAs/InP single-photon detector systems in the telecommunication band along with their associated applications in quantum communication. III–V single-photon avalanche diodes are the most practical tools available for detecting ultraweak near-infrared light. The scientists overview important parameters for evaluating the performance of detector systems based on single-photon avalanche diodes and describe the experimental characterization of these parameters. They also consider emerging techniques, including high-frequency gating at gigahertz rates and free-running operation using negative-feedback avalanche diodes. Finally, the future prospects of these devices are considered.
A sine-gated single-photon detector (SPD) intended for use in a quantum key distribution (QKD) system is considered in this paper. An "avalanche delay" effect in the sine-gated SPD is revealed. This effect consists in the appearance of an avalanche triggered at the next gate after the photon arrival gate. It has been determined experimentally that the nature of this effect is not related to the known effects of afterpulsing or charge persistence. This effect negatively affects the overall error rate in the QKD system. The influence of the main detector control parameters, such as temperature, gate amplitude and comparator's threshold voltage, on the avalanche delay effect was experimentally established.