Science Daily December 12, 2023 Currently, all available detectors for detecting long wave infrared (LWIR) light at room temperature operate on amplitude modulation (AM) and are limited in performance by AM noises, including Johnson noise, shot noise, and background fluctuation noise. Researchers at the University of Central Florida have introduced a frequency modulation (FM)-based detection technique , which offers inherent robustness against different types of AM noises. The FM-based approach yields an outstanding room temperature noise equivalent power (NEP), response time, and detectivity (D*). According to the researchers this result promises a novel uncooled LWIR detection scheme that is highly […]
Tag Archives: Photon detection
Counting single photons at unprecedented rates
Phys.org April 13, 2021 Researchers at NIST have demonstrated a method that allows a high-efficiency single-photon-avalanche diode (SPAD) with a thick absorption region to count single photons at rates significantly higher than previously demonstrated. They applied large (>30 V) AC bias gates to the SPAD at 1 GHz and detected minute avalanches by means of radio frequency interferometry. They measured a reduction by a factor of ≈500 in the average charge per avalanche when compared to operation in its traditional active-quenching module and a relative increase in >19% in detection efficiency at 850 nm. The reduction in charge strongly suppresses self-heating effects in the […]