NIST scientists have developed a new method to detect individual photons at a rate 10 times faster than existing technology, with lower error rates and higher detection efficiency. The innovation involves a major redesign of the control electronics system surrounding a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) detector.
The key technical points are:
1. The new method allows detection of photons at rates up to 100 million per second
2. It achieves this while reducing noise and afterpulsing effects
3. The system uses a high-frequency gating technique to shorten the maximum duration of an avalanche
4. A radio frequency signal is applied to cancel out noise, revealing extremely small avalanches
5. The new SPAD design could impact quantum communication and quantum computation applications
The potential impact on quantum technologies is significant, as both quantum communication and quantum computation rely critically on single-photon detection for their operation. These technologies are expected to have a substantial impact on society and the economy.
Keywords: Avalanche, Photon, Detection, Efficiency, Metrology
