Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
Published on: June 3, 2015
Operation of silicon single photon avalanche diodes at cryogenic temperature
Ivan Rech1, Ivan Labanca, Giacomo Armellini
1Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
This article reports a complete characterization of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) at temperatures down to 120 K. We show that deep cooling of the device by means of a compact liquid-nitrogen Dewar brings several advantages, such as extremely low dark counting rates (down to 1 counts/s), better time resolution, and higher quantum efficiency in the visible range. By using a special current pick-off circuit, we achieved a time resolution of 20 ps full width at half maximum at 120 K for a 50 mum diameter SPAD. Afterpulsing effects are avoided by using a sufficiently long hold-off time (microseconds).
Related Concept Videos
Diode: Forward bias
The behavior of a diode in forward bias...
Schottky Barrier Diode
Diode: Reverse bias

