Single Photon Avalanche Diode Arrays for Time-Resolved Raman Spectroscopy.

Area of Science:

• Spectroscopy
• Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Raman spectroscopy identifies molecules via peak shifts without labeling.
• Fluorescence interference is a major challenge in Raman spectroscopy.
• Time-resolved techniques can suppress fluorescence by exploiting decay time differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review time-gating strategies for Raman spectroscopy from a sensor perspective.
• To identify optimal single-photon detectors for time-resolved Raman applications.
• To discuss the design and implementation of SPAD arrays for enhanced Raman detection.

Main Methods:

• Focus on time-gating principles in Raman spectroscopy.
• Evaluation of Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays for rapid and precise time-gating.
• Discussion of on-chip processing electronics and SPAD architectures for Raman spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• SPAD arrays are identified as highly suitable for time-gated Raman spectroscopy.
• Design guidelines for optimized on-chip processing in SPAD arrays are discussed.
• Existing SPAD architectures and their operation modes for Raman applications are presented.

Conclusions:

• SPAD arrays enable effective fluorescence rejection in time-resolved Raman spectroscopy.
• Optimized SPAD sensor design is crucial for future ultrafast Raman platforms.
• Highly integrated SPAD sensors promise undistorted Raman peak identification across multiple pixels.