Modified single photon counting modules for optimal timing performance

Abstract

A modification of a standard Perkin Elmer SPCM-AQR photon detector module that remarkably improves the photon timing performance is presented here. The modification consists of an additional timing circuit board, which is inserted in the module without modifying the original circuit board. The essential feature is a pulse pickup linear network, connected to the high-voltage terminal of the photodetector, which extracts a short pulse signal with fast rise, coincident with the rise of the avalanche current. The information about the photon arrival time is obtained by sensing the onset of the rise. At low counting rates (<10^5 counts/ s) time-correlated photon counting tests show that the instrumental resolution function (IRF) thus obtained has full width at half maximum (FWHM) narrower by about 40% with respect to the original module. At higher counting rate, up to few Mcounts/s, the advantage is even more remarkable: The timing circuit practically eliminates the drawbacks that plague the original module, namely, a progressive increase of the FWHM and a progressive shift of the peak position of the IRF with increasing counting rate. The modified SPCM-AQR module is therefore suitable also for applications requiring subnanosecond time resolution at high and/or variable counting rate, such as fluorescent decay measurements, fluorescent lifetime imaging, single molecule detection and spectroscopy, and optical radar techniques

Ranging and Three-Dimensional Imaging Using Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting and Point-by-Point Acquisition

“…Reading across the rows of the table, the much superior results from the RJMCMC method are evident. In the particular measurements used in this analysis, the system had been upgraded to include an adapted PerkinElmer detector, which had modifications to the single-photon detection circuitry [22] to improve jitter. With this modified detector and use of the RJMCMC algorithm, surface-to-surface depth resolution of 1.7 cm could be obtained at a distance of 330 m [23].…”

Versatile electronic module for the operation of any silicon single photon avalanche diode

“…Published work has reported that the time resolution of the SPCM modules by PerkinElmer can be improved by inserting an additional specially designed circuit [17]. Therefore, we took advantage of the availability of a few SPCM modules in our lab to carry out further tests of the PDC modules operating with the SLiK TM detectors (available only within SPCM modules and not as separate components).…”

Note: Simple calibration of the counting-rate dependence of the timing shift of single photon avalanche diodes by photon interval analysis

“…To reduce this timing instability of SPADs, some improvements to the electronic circuit have been made. 4 However, most of currently availa) Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail:…”

“…3 Previous studies have noted that this counting-rate dependence arises from the quenching circuit that is implemented in SPADs to achieve short dead time, and hence, high duty cycle. 4 Therefore, the counting-rate dependence of the temporal response is an inherent feature of SPADs and is unavoidable. This drawback is critical, especially in FLIM, because the number of probe molecules and hence the fluorescence detection rate highly depend on the position of the sample.…”

“…The wavelength-insensitive character of the counting-rate dependence is reasonable, because the timing instability is known to arise from the electronic circuit, not from the detection properties of the photodiode. 4 The calibration method described above was also applied to the photon data obtained with a Type B SPAD, which shows much less but still substantial counting-rate dependence of the temporal response. The excitation wavelength was set to 400 nm.…”