Subcentimeter depth resolution using a single-photon counting time-of-flight laser ranging system at 1550 nm wavelength

Warburton, R. J.; McCarthy, Aongus; Wallace, Andrew M.; Hernandez-Marin, Sergio; Hadfield, Robert H.; Nam, Sae Woo; Buller, Gerald S.

doi:10.1364/ol.32.002266

Cited by 104 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The overall system instrumental timing response of the system was <100 ps FWHM (see the inset in Fig. 2) which was, owing to the increased complexity of this transceiver setup, marginally longer than the timing resolution achieved in our first 1550 nm wavelength single photon depth ranging tests with SNSPDs [24].…”

Section: System Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection

McCarthy¹,

Krichel²,

Gemmell³

et al. 2013

Opt. Express

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266

153

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This paper highlights a significant advance in time-of-flight depth imaging: by using a scanning transceiver which incorporated a freerunning, low noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, we were able to obtain centimeter resolution depth images of low-signature objects in daylight at stand-off distances of the order of one kilometer at the relatively eye-safe wavelength of 1560 nm. The detector used had an efficiency of 18% at 1 kHz dark count rate, and the overall system jitter was ~100 ps. The depth images were acquired by illuminating the scene with an optical output power level of less than 250 µW average, and using per-pixel dwell times in the millisecond regime.

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Section: System Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection

McCarthy¹,

Krichel²,

Gemmell³

et al. 2013

Opt. Express

Self Cite

266

153

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show abstract

“…2-4͒ offer wide spectral range ͑from visible to midinfrared wavelengths͒ with free-running operation, low dark counts, short reset times, and low timing jitter. SNSPDs have begun to have a significant impact on applications, such as quantum key distribution, 5 time-of-flight ranging, 6 high bit-rate ground-to-space communications, 7 and optical quantum information processing. 8 Recent work on SNSPDs has concentrated on increasing detection efficiency ͑DE͒ through improved materials, device layout, and optical architecture.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced telecom wavelength single-photon detection with NbTiN superconducting nanowires on oxidized silicon

Tanner

Natarajan

Pottapenjara

et al. 2010

Applied Physics Letters

116

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Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors ͑SNSPDs͒ have emerged as a highly promising infrared single-photon detector technology. Next-generation devices are being developed with enhanced detection efficiency ͑DE͒ at key technological wavelengths via the use of optical cavities. Furthermore, new materials and substrates are being explored for improved fabrication versatility, higher DE, and lower dark counts. We report on the practical performance of packaged NbTiN SNSPDs fabricated on oxidized silicon substrates in the wavelength range from 830 to 1700 nm. We exploit constructive interference from the SiO 2 / Si interface in order to achieve enhanced front-side fiber-coupled DE of 23.2 % at 1310 nm, at 1 kHz dark count rate, with 60 ps full width half maximum timing jitter. © 2010 American Institute of Physics. ͓doi:10.1063/1.3428960͔Infrared single-photon detectors are a key enabling technology for a host of scientific applications. Advanced photon-counting applications place stringent demands on detector performance, and new detector technologies are rapidly being developed, evaluated, and deployed.1 Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors ͑SNSPDs͒ ͑Refs. 2-4͒ offer wide spectral range ͑from visible to midinfrared wavelengths͒ with free-running operation, low dark counts, short reset times, and low timing jitter. SNSPDs have begun to have a significant impact on applications, such as quantum key distribution, 5 time-of-flight ranging, 6 high bit-rate ground-to-space communications, 7 and optical quantum information processing.8 Recent work on SNSPDs has concentrated on increasing detection efficiency ͑DE͒ through improved materials, device layout, and optical architecture. 3,4,[9][10][11][12] Optical cavities increase the absorption of photons in the active device layer 9-11 and nanopositioning systems are employed to maximize coupling efficiency to the device area. 12The ϳ1300 nm wavelength range is important for quantum information experiments using telecom-wavelength quantum-dot single-photon sources 13 and medical applications such as singlet oxygen detection at = 1273 nm.14 In this paper we report on enhanced device efficiency in a NbTiN SNSPD ͑Ref. 15͒ with a cavity reflection from the oxidized Si substrate optimized for ϳ1300 nm wavelength. The devices are front-side fiber-coupled in a fixed package without the need for nanopositioners or thinning of the substrate used in backside illumination architectures. 9,10,12 In this paper, we describe device performance as a function of wavelength, with reference to the device architecture. We demonstrate the highest published efficiency in a practically packaged SNSPD at = 1310 nm with frontside fiber illumination, comparable to results achieved with backside illumination.Devices used in this study 15 are based on high quality films of NbTiN deposited by reactive dc magnetron sputtering at room temperature on a Si substrate with a 225 nm SiO 2 layer. 16 Further device fabrication details are given in Ref. 15. The devices studied consist of a 10...

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“…SSPDs offer an appealing alternative to traditional photon counting, especially in the near infrared where they outperform pho− tomultiplier tubes and APDs. SSPDs are promising candi− dates for application such as QKD [76], characterization of quantum emitters [77,19], circuit testing [78], high speed optical communication [79], and time of flight laser ranging [80]. In the characterisation of single−photon sources in the telecom band they have become a key tool due to their unprecedented sensitivity, temporal resolution (jitter < 100 ps) and possibility of operating at much higher rates (> 80 MHz) than commercial APDs.…”

Section: Single-photon Detectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanophotonic technologies for single-photon devices

Gerardino

Francardi

Gaggero

et al. 2010

Opto-Electronics Review

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The progress in nanofabrication has made possible the realization of optic nanodevices able to handle single photons and to exploit the quantum nature of single-photon states. In particular, quantum cryptography (or more precisely quantum key distribution, QKD) allows unconditionally secure exchange of cryptographic keys by the transmission of optical pulses each containing no more than one photon. Additionally, the coherent control of excitonic and photonic qubits is a major step forward in the field of solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics, with potential applications in quantum computing. Here, we describe devices for realization of single photon generation and detection based on high resolution technologies and their physical properties. Particular attention will be devoted to the description of single-quantum dot sources based on photonic crystal microcavites optically and electrically driven: the electrically driven devices is an important result towards the realization of single photon source “on demand”. A new class of single photon detectors, based on superconducting nanowires, the superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) are also introduced: the fabrication techniques and the design proposed to obtain large area coverage and photon number-resolving capability are described.

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Subcentimeter depth resolution using a single-photon counting time-of-flight laser ranging system at 1550 nm wavelength

Cited by 104 publications

References 15 publications

Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection

Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection

Enhanced telecom wavelength single-photon detection with NbTiN superconducting nanowires on oxidized silicon

Nanophotonic technologies for single-photon devices

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