Sequences of the ranged amplitudes as a universal method for fast noninvasive characterization of SPAD dark counts

Abstract: Single-photon detectors based on avalanche photodiodes (SPAD) are key elements of many modern highly sensitive optical systems. One of the bottlenecks of such detectors is a afterpulsing effect which limits a detection rate and requires an optimal hold-off time. In this letter we propose a novel approach for statistical analysis of SPAD dark counts and we demonstrate its usefulness for the search of the experimental condition where the afterpulsing effect can be strongly eliminated. This approach exploits a sequence of ranked time intervals between the dark counts and does not contain a complex mathematical analysis of the experimental data. We show that the approach can be efficiently applied for a small number of the dark counts and it seems to be very beneficial for practical characterization of SPAD devices.