High-rate photon counting and picosecond timing with silicon-SPAD based compact detector modules

New detector modules exploit recent progress in the technology of silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) and in the design of associated electronic circuits. SPAD detectors with diameter up to 100 µm, good photon detection efficiency (48% peak at 550 nm wavelength) and low dark counting rate are used in these modules. Monolithic integrated active-quenching circuits (iAQC) and fast time-pickoff circuits ensure efficient photon counting and timing, with better than 50 ps FWHM time resolution and less than 50 ps centroid shift for counting rates up to 4 Mc/s. Experimental tests of the module performance and an application example are presented.