InP/InGaAs 单光子探测器经过近40年的发展,其主要性能指标探测效率达到了60%,暗计数率在20 kHz以内(-20 ℃温度下),时间抖动、后脉冲以及光子计数率也在进一步提高,目前已经获得百ps以内的时间抖动,后脉冲概率1%~5%,光子计数率达到GHz。进一步的性能提升需要考虑具有更小离化系数比和过剩噪声的材料系统,以及具有多增益放大并能对雪崩增益进行控制和调节的器件,在减小后脉冲的同时维持一定的器件增益;波长进一步扩展,以提供更多的波长选择;芯片内部集成自淬灭以简化电路,同时实现自由运行单光子探测,并易于集成到盖革模式单光子焦平面阵列。本文对常规SAGCM(分离吸收、缓变、电荷层、倍增结构)的InP/InGaAs单光子探测器的最新发展,以及基于该技术发展的新器件技术进行了报道和介绍。

After nearly 40 years of development, the performance of InP/InGaAs single photon detectors have been improved significantly. The photon detection efficiency has reached 60%, the dark count rate is already within 20 kHz (-20 ℃), and the time jitter, afterpulse and photon counting rate are also further improved. At present, the time jitter is within 100ps, and the afterpulse probability is within 1%--5%, and the photon counting rate reaches GHz. Further performance improvement needs to consider the material system with smaller ionization coefficient ratio and excess noise, the device with multiple amplification gain and gain control, which can reduce the afterpulse while maintaining a certain device gain. The wavelength needs further expanded to provide more wavelength options. The chip needs internally integrated with self-quenching to simplify the circuit and realize free running single photon detection. And the chip could easy to integrate into single photon focal plane array at Geiger mode. In this paper, the latest development of InP / InGaAs single photon detectors based on conventional SAGCM (separated absorption, grading, charge, multiplication) and the new devices based on this technology are introduced.