16-Channel Module Based on a Monolithic Array of Single-Photon Detectors and 10-ps Time-to-Digital Converters

We present a compact and high-performance time-correlated single-photon counting detection module, based on a monolithic CMOS chip with an array of 16 channels, each composed by a 20 μm diameter single-photon avalanche diode and a time-to-digital converter. All 16 channels are independent and provide single-photon sensitivity in the visible and NIR wavelength range, from 350 to 950 nm (with a peak 45% detection efficiency at 450 nm), 10 ps photon-timing resolution, 160 ns full-scale range, better than 70 ps (full-width at half maximum) precision, and a differential non-linearity better than 0.015 LSB [root mean square (rms)], i.e., 150 fs (rms). The module requires just an USB 2.0 link for data-communication to a remote computer and power-supply, and it proves to be the best candidate for a wide variety of multichannel, low-power, compact, photon-counting, and photon-timing applications.