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Efficient photon number detection with silicon avalanche photodiodes

Source: Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 031102 (2010); doi:10.1063/1.3464556

Published 19 July 2010

KEYWORDS and PACS
Keywords
PACS
  • 85.60.Gz
    Photodetectors
  • 85.60.Dw
    Photodiodes; phototransistors; photoresistors
  • YEAR: 2010
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O. Thomas, Z. L. Yuan, J. F. Dynes, A. W. Sharpe, and A. J. Shields
Cambridge Research Laboratory, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd, 208 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0GZ, United Kingdom
We demonstrate an efficient photon number detector for visible wavelengths using a silicon avalanche photodiode. Under subnanosecond gating, the device is able to resolve up to four photons in an incident optical pulse. The detection efficiency at 600 nm is measured to be 73.8%, corresponding to an avalanche probability of 91.1% of the absorbed photons, with a dark count probability below 1.1×10−6 per gate. With this performance and operation close to room temperature, fast-gated silicon avalanche photodiodes are ideal for optical quantum information processing that requires single-shot photon number detection. ©2010 American Institute of Physics
History: Received 28 April 2010; accepted 24 June 2010; published 19 July 2010
Permalink: http://link.aip.org/link/?APPLAB/97/031102/1

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