title: Gigacount/second Photon Detection Module Based on an 8 × 8 Single-Photon Avalanche Diode Array.
abstract: In this letter we present a compact photon detection module, based on an 8×8 array of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The use of a dedicated silicon technology for the fabrication of the sensors allows us to combine large active areas (50-μm diameter), high photon detection efficiency (49% at 550-nm wavelength) and low dark count rate. Thanks to a fully parallel architecture, the module provides voltage pulses synchronous to each photon detection for a maximum global count rate exceeding 1 Gcps. These properties makes the system suitable for operation in two different free-running modes. The first, suitable to acquire faint signals, allows multi-spot acquisitions and can be used to considerably reduce the measurement time in applications like single-molecule analysis. With the second it is possible to use all the pixels in a combined mode, to extend and move the dynamic range of the module to very high count rates and to attain number resolving capabilities.
authors.affiliation: F. Ceccarelli, A. Gulinatti, I. Labanca, I. Rech and M. Ghioni, are with the Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy ( angelo.gulinatti@polimi.it ).
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.affiliation: F. Ceccarelli, A. Gulinatti, I. Labanca, I. Rech and M. Ghioni, are with the Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy ( angelo.gulinatti@polimi.it ).
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulinatti
authors.affiliation: F. Ceccarelli, A. Gulinatti, I. Labanca, I. Rech and M. Ghioni, are with the Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy ( angelo.gulinatti@polimi.it ).
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Labanca
authors.affiliation: F. Ceccarelli, A. Gulinatti, I. Labanca, I. Rech and M. Ghioni, are with the Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy ( angelo.gulinatti@polimi.it ).
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rech
authors.affiliation: F. Ceccarelli, A. Gulinatti, I. Labanca, I. Rech and M. Ghioni, are with the Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy ( angelo.gulinatti@polimi.it ).
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghioni
keywords: Array detectors; gigacount rate; photon counting; photon number resolving; single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs)