Active quenching circuit for single-photon detection with Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes

In this paper a novel construction of an active quenching circuit intended for single-photon detection is presented, along with a few original methods for its evaluation. The circuit has been combined with a standard avalanche photodiode C30902S to form a single-photon detector. This detector has a dead time of 39 ns, maximum random counting frequency of 14 MHz, small afterpulsing probability, an estimated peak detection efficiency of over 20%, and a dark count rate of less than 100 Hz. This simple and robust active quenching circuit can be built from off-the-shelf electronic components and is presented with the detailed schematic diagram. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America