Optically Self-Balanced InGaAs–InP Avalanche Photodiode for Infrared Single-Photon Detection

We demonstrated a robust noise cancellation by using an optical self-differential technique for the near-infrared single-photon detection based on an InGaAs-InP avalanche photodiode, which enabled 31-dB suppression of the spike noise, resulting in a detection efficiency of 22.4% with an afterpulse probability of 2.4% at the gating frequency of 25 MHz. This technique may provide a promising way for high-efficiency and low-noise fast detection of infrared single photons.