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

Abstract

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.

Fully integrated free-running InGaAs/InP single-photon detector for accurate lidar applications

“…Up-conversion SPDs exhibit moderate performance, and recently have been used for lidar experiments [6][7][8][9]. Compared with the above detectors, InGaAs/InP SPADs have relatively poor performance, however, such detectors are widely used in practical applications due to their advantages of small size and low cost [10,11]. The key parameters of InGaAs/InP SPADs, i.e., PDE, DCR, afterpulse probability and maximum count rate (MCR), influence each other, so that these parameters should be compromised and optimized according to the requirements of applications.…”

“…The key parameters of InGaAs/InP SPADs, i.e., PDE, DCR, afterpulse probability and maximum count rate (MCR), influence each other, so that these parameters should be compromised and optimized according to the requirements of applications. Apart from SPAD device, the quenching electronics is the crucial part for a SPAD [11]. InGaAs/InP SPADs are often operated either in gating mode or in free-running mode, which are suited for synchronous and asynchronous single-photon detections, respectively.…”

InP–InxGa1−xAs core-multi-shell nanowire quantum wells with tunable emission in the 1.3–1.55 μm wavelength range

“…2,3 Most importantly, using this material combination, quantum confined structures such as QWs and dots can be designed and tuned to operate in the 1.3-1.55 μm range, which encompasses the low dispersion and low attenuation wavelength window used in modern optical communication systems. 4 InP-InGaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) modulators, 4 laser diodes, 5 waveguides 6 and photodetectors 7,8 are some of such essential components used in these communication systems.…”

Sine wave gating silicon single-photon detectors for multiphoton entanglement experiments

“…The SWG scheme is well suited for synchronous single-photon detection 11 . The quenching electronics based on high-frequency sine wave gating [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] are applied to the SLiKs disassembled from the commercial products of SPCMs. After the replacement, the PDE of each SPD is improved by 4 ∼ 9% compared with its original performance at a wavelength of 785 nm.…”