High performance planar germanium-on-silicon single-photon avalanche diode detectors

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08830-w
• Publication Date: 2019-03-06T11:07:05Z
• Authors: Peter Vines; Kateryna Kuzmenko; Jarosław Kirdoda; Derek C. S. Dumas; Muhammad M. Mirza; Ross W. Millar; Douglas J. Paul; Gerald S. Buller
• Keywords: Picosecond; Avalanche diode; Single-photon avalanche diode

Abstract Single-photon detection has emerged as a method of choice for ultra-sensitive measurements picosecond optical transients. In the short-wave infrared, semiconductor-based single-photon detectors typically exhibit relatively poor performance compared with all-silicon devices operating at shorter wavelengths. Here we show new generation planar germanium-on-silicon (Ge-on-Si) avalanche diode (SPAD) infrared operation. This geometry enabled significant step-change in performance, demonstrating efficiency 38% 125 K wavelength 1310 nm, and fifty-fold improvement noise equivalent power optimised mesa SPADs. comparison InGaAs/InP devices, Ge-on-Si SPADs considerably reduced afterpulsing effects. These results, utilising inexpensive platform, provide route towards large arrays efficient, high data rate use eye-safe automotive LIDAR future quantum technology applications.