InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diode with narrow photon timing response

We present the performances of new InGaAs/InP Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) for photon counting and timing operation up to about 1700 nm. They have been designed to achieve good detection efficiency, low afterpulsing and very good timing performances. When they are operated at 200 K, with 5 V of excess bias, they show a detection efficiency of more than 25% and a dark count rate of about 6 kcps. The timing performances (particularly the “sharpness” of the timing response) reaches the new state-of-the-art: full-width at half maximum of about 90 ps and a full-width at 1/1000 of maximum of less than 460 ps, thus allowing to acquire optical waveforms with very wide dynamic ranges in TCSPC measurements.