Advances in time-of-flight and time-correlated single-photon-counting devices (original) (raw)
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Enhanced performance photon-counting time-of-flight sensor
Optics Express, 2007
We describe improvements to a time-of-flight sensor utilising the time-correlated single-photon counting technique employing a commercially-available silicon-based photon-counting module. By making modifications to the single-photon detection circuitry and the data analysis techniques, we experimentally demonstrate improved resolution between multiple scattering surfaces with a minimum resolvable separation of 1.7 cm at ranges in excess of several hundred metres.
Review of Scientific Instruments, 2017
In this paper, we describe a novel solution to increase the speed of Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) measurements by almost an order of magnitude while providing, in principle, zero distortion regardless of the experimental conditions. Typically, the relatively long dead time associated with the conversion electronics requires a proper tune of the excitation power in order to avoid distortions of the reconstructed waveform due to pileup and counting loss. As a result, the maximum operating rate of a TCSPC channel is now limited between 1% and 5% of the excitation frequency, thus leading to relatively long acquisition times. We show that negligible distortion (below 1%) is guaranteed if the dead time associated with the converter is kept below the dead time of the detector, and at the same time the detector dead time is matched to the duration of the excitation period. In this way, unprecedented high-speed operation is possible. In this paper, we provide a theoretical analysis of the technique, including the main non-idealities which are introduced by a generic physical implementation. The results are supported by both numerical simulations and analytical calculations.
Timing resolution (FWHM) of some photon counting detectors and electronic circuitry
Measurement Science and Technology, 2006
An improved measurement scheme is proposed for the timing resolution of some commercially available photon detecting and counting APDs. The statistics of the time intervals corresponding to time of flight through passive media was recorded. Consequences of intrinsic photon arrival time ambiguity are taken into account. This improved scheme leads to better timing resolutions than claimed by the manufacturers. In one exemplary case the mean value is 31.2 ps instead of 40 ps.
Photon counting detectors for future laser time transfer missions
2008
We are reporting on research, development and indoor tests of the photon counting detectors that are being developed in our lab for future space missions related to precise time transfer by laser pulses. The detectors are optimized for an on-board detection and precision time tagging of an incoming laser pulse. The key parameters of the detectors are: detection delay stability, broad operation temperature range, capability to operate under high background photon flux, radiation tolerance, mass and power consumption and overall ruggedness. The timing resolution, detection quantum efficiency and the dark count rate are of lower importance. The most challenging requirements are the detection delay stability of the order of units to tens of picoseconds within the temperature range of -30 to +50 C and the detection delay stability under the conditions of extremely high background photon flux well exceeding 10 8 photons per second hitting the detector active area. The detectors are based on the K14 SPAD chips. The new active quenching and gating electronics has been developed, it enables the operation in both gated and non gated modes. In a gated mode the detector is capable to operatedetect individual photonsunder the condition of background photon flux exceeding 10 9 (!) photons per second.
Multiple wavelength time-of-flight sensor based on time-correlated single-photon counting
Review of scientific …, 2005
This article describes a time-of-flight sensor based on multiple pulsed laser sources which utilizes time-correlated single-photon counting. The sensor has demonstrated good performance at ranges of up to 17 km in daylight conditions. Analysis techniques were developed to examine the returns from targets containing more than one scattering surface.
Long-range time-of-flight scanning sensor based on high-speed time-correlated single-photon counting
Applied Optics, 2009
We describe a scanning time-of-flight system which uses the time-correlated single-photon counting technique to produce three-dimensional depth images of distant, noncooperative surfaces when these targets are illuminated by a kHz to MHz repetition rate pulsed laser source. The data for the scene are acquired using a scanning optical system and an individual single-photon detector. Depth images have been successfully acquired with centimeter xyz resolution, in daylight conditions, for low-signature targets in field trials at distances of up to 325 m using an output illumination with an average optical power of less than 50 μW.
IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 2014
We present a compact and high-performance timecorrelated single-photon counting detection module, based on a monolithic CMOS chip with an array of 16 channels, each composed by a 20 μm diameter single-photon avalanche diode and a time-to-digital converter. All 16 channels are independent and provide single-photon sensitivity in the visible and NIR wavelength range, from 350 to 950 nm (with a peak 45% detection efficiency at 450 nm), 10 ps photon-timing resolution, 160 ns full-scale range, better than 70 ps (full-width at half maximum) precision, and a differential non-linearity better than 0.015 LSB [root mean square (rms)], i.e., 150 fs (rms). The module requires just an USB 2.0 link for data-communication to a remote computer and power-supply, and it proves to be the best candidate for a wide variety of multichannel, low-power, compact, photon-counting, and photon-timing applications.
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 2011
The MYTHEN single-photon-counting (SPC) detector has been characterized using the time-over-threshold (ToT) readout method,i.e.measuring the time that the signal produced by the detected X-rays remains above the comparator threshold. In the following it is shown that the ToT readout preserves the sensitivity, dynamic range and capability of background suppression of the SPC mode, while enhancing the count-rate capability, which is the main limitation of state-of-the-art SPC systems.
Optics Express, 2018
Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) is an essential tool in many scientific applications, where the recording of optical pulses with picosecond precision is required. Unfortunately, a key issue has to be faced: distortion phenomena can affect TCSPC experiments at high count rates. In order to avoid this problem, TCSPC experiments have been commonly carried out by limiting the maximum operating frequency of a measurement channel below 5% of the excitation frequency, leading to a long acquisition time. Recently, it has been demonstrated that matching the detector dead time to the excitation period allows to keep distortion around zero regardless of the rate of impinging photons. This solution paves the way to unprecedented measurement speed in TCSPC experiments. In this scenario, the front-end circuits that drive the detector play a crucial role in determining the performance of the system, both in terms of measurement speed and timing performance. Here we present two fully integrated front-end circuits for Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs): a fast Active Quenching Circuit (AQC) and a fully-differential current pickup circuit. The AQC can apply very fast voltage variations, as short as 1.6ns, to reset external custom-technology SPAD detectors. A fast reset, indeed, is a key parameter to maximize the measurement speed. The current pickup circuit is based on a fully differential structure which allows unprecedented rejection of disturbances that typically affect SPAD-based systems at the end of the dead time. The circuit permits to sense the current edge resulting from a photon detection with picosecond accuracy and precision even a few picoseconds after the end of the dead time imposed by the AQC. This is a crucial requirement when the system is operated at high rates. Both circuits have been deeply characterized, especially in terms of achievable measurement speed and timing performance.
Time-magnified photon counting with 550-fs resolution
Optica, 2021
Time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) is an enabling technology for applications such as low-light fluorescence lifetime microscopy and photon counting time-of-flight (ToF) 3D imaging. However, state-of-the-art TCSPC single-photon timing resolution (SPTR) is limited to 3–100 ps by single-photon detectors. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a time-magnified TCSPC (TM-TCSPC) that achieves an ultrashort SPTR of 550 fs with an off-the-shelf single-photon detector. The TM-TCSPC can resolve ultrashort pulses with a 130-fs pulse width difference at a 22-fs accuracy. When applied to photon counting ToF 3D imaging, the TM-TCSPC greatly suppresses the range walk error that limits all photon counting ToF 3D imaging systems by 99.2% and thus provides high depth accuracy and precision of 26 µm and 3 µm, respectively.