InGaAs/InP single-photon counting module running up to 133 MHz

We present new circuital solutions for operating InGaAs/InP SPADs at high speed with very fast avalanche quenching time. A compact wide-band pulse generator (mounted close to the detector) is able to gate the SPAD at a repetition frequency from 200 Hz up to 133 MHz. An adjustable amplitude gate-driver allows to trade-off between photon detection efficiency and dark count rate, while a variable gate-width precisely selects the time interval during which the detector is ON. A fast avalanche-quenching scheme, working on both SPAD's anode and cathode, is able to minimize quenching action to less than 1 ns, thus effectively reducing afterpulsing through a decreased total charge flowing through the junction. We integrated all such circuits into a compact detection module, together with a previouslyreported differential read-out electronics for low time-jitter response. The performance of the overall module is good in many different setting points, thus being able to satisfy a wide variety of applications.