A SPAD-Based Photon Detecting System for Optical Communications

Author

Chitnis, Danial ; Collins, Steve

Author_Institution

Dept. of Eng. Sci., Univ. of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Volume

32

Issue

10

fYear

2014

fDate

May15, 15 2014

Firstpage

2028

Lastpage

2034

Abstract

A small array of single photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) has been designed and fabricated in a standard 0.18 μm CMOS process to test a new photon detecting system for optical communications. First numerical results are presented which show that using arrays of SPADs reduces the optical power density required at the receiver. Experimental results then show that the new system preserves the photon counting ability of the SPADs. Finally a simple method is presented which can be used to estimate the size of array needed to achieve a particular target bit error rate at a specific optical power density. Together these results indicate that by replacing the avalanche photodiode in a receiver with the new system it will be possible to count the received photons.

Keywords

CMOS integrated circuits; avalanche photodiodes; error statistics; integrated optics; integrated optoelectronics; optical arrays; optical design techniques; optical fabrication; optical receivers; CMOS process; SPAD-based photon detecting system; arrays; avalanche photodiode; bit error rate; optical communications; optical power density; photon counting ability; receiver; single photon avalanche detectors; Arrays; Bit error rate; Histograms; Optical receivers; Optical transmitters; Photonics; CMOS; mixed analog digital integrated circuits; optical receivers; poisson channels; single photon avalanche diode;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JLT.2014.2316972

Filename

6786995