Abstract

A single-photon detector is presented with quantum dot (QD) layers in its absorption region. The proposed detector is a three-terminal device in which a QD-based absorption region is integrated with an avalanche multiplication region through a tunneling barrier and the applied bias of each region can be controlled separately. The mid-infrared single photons ($\lambda =3\sim 5\mathrm{\mu m}$) can be absorbed in QDs and the photogenerated electrons are drifted to the avalanche region to trigger an avalanche and generate an output pulse. Since the absorption region consists of doped QD layers, it is expected to have higher orders of dark count. However, by separately controlling the bias and keeping the electric field of absorption region low, the dark current of this region can be reduced. Our simulations predict a single-photon detection efficiency (SPQE) of about 0.7 at $T=50\mathrm{K}$ for the proposed detector. At higher temperatures, the dark count rate increases and results in reduced SPQE. To increase the operation temperature, resonant tunneling barriers (RTB) are included in the absorption region to inhibit the thermally excited electrons from contributing to the dark current generation. Our results show that the SPQE for the RTB-based device is about 0.65 at $T=77\mathrm{K}$, which is approximately equivalent to the SPQE of the device without RTB at $T=50\mathrm{K}$.

© 2015 Optical Society of America

Quantum dot infrared photodetector with gated-mode design for mid-IR single photon detection

Mahdi Zavvari and Vahid Ahmadi
Appl. Opt. 52(32) 7675-7681 (2013)

Design of resonant cavity structure for efficient high-temperature operation of single-photon avalanche photodiodes

Mahdi Zavvari, Kambiz Abedi, and Mohammad Karimi
Appl. Opt. 53(15) 3311-3317 (2014)

Analysis of single photon detection in avalanche photodetectors with multi-gain-stage multiplication region

Amir Hosseinzadeh and Mahdi Zavvari
Appl. Opt. 56(6) 1631-1636 (2017)

1550 nm InGaAs/InAlAs single photon avalanche diode at room temperature

Xiao Meng, Chee Hing Tan, Simon Dimler, John P R David, and Jo Shien Ng
Opt. Express 22(19) 22608-22615 (2014)

Single photon detection in a waveguide-coupled Ge-on-Si lateral avalanche photodiode

Nicholas J. D. Martinez, Michael Gehl, Christopher T. Derose, Andrew L. Starbuck, Andrew T. Pomerene, Anthony L. Lentine, Douglas C. Trotter, and Paul S. Davids
Opt. Express 25(14) 16130-16139 (2017)