Low-Noise, Low-Jitter, High Detection Efficiency InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode

We present the performance of a novel InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) with high detection efficiency and low noise thanks to the improvement of Zinc diffusion conditions and the optimization of the vertical structure. The 25-μ mactive-area diameter detector, operated in gated-mode with ON time of tens of nanoseconds, shows very low dark count rate (few kilo-counts per second at 225 K and 5 V of excess bias), 30% photon detection efficiency at 1550 nm, low afterpulsing, and a timing response with less than 90-ps full-width at half maximum and very fast exponential tail (time constant ∼ 60 ps). Therefore, this InGaAs/InP SPAD is among the best ones ever reported in the literature.