Yang Meng, Xu Feihu, Ren Ji-Gang, Yin Juan, Li Yang, Cao Yuan, Shen Qi, Yong Hai-Lin, Zhang Liang, Liao Sheng-Kai, Pan Jian-Wei, Peng Cheng-Zhi
Opt Express. 2019 Dec 9;27(25):36114-36128. doi: 10.1364/OE.27.036114.
Single-photon detectors (SPDs) play important roles in highly sensitive detection applications, such as fluorescence spectroscopy, remote sensing and ranging, deep space optical communications, elementary particle detection, and quantum communications. However, the adverse conditions in space, such as the increased radiation flux and thermal vacuum, severely limit their noise performances, reliability, and lifetime. Herein, we present the example of spaceborne, low-noise, high reliability SPDs, based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) silicon avalanche photodiodes (APD). Based on the high noise-radiation sensitivity of silicon APD, we have developed special shielding structures, multistage cooling technologies, and configurable driver electronics that significantly improved the COTS APD reliability and mitigated the SPD noise-radiation sensitivity. This led to a reduction of the expected in-orbit radiation-induced dark count rate (DCR) increment rate from ∼219 counts per second (cps) per day to ∼0.76 cps/day. During a continuous period of continuous operations in orbit which spanned of 1029 days, the SPD DCR was maintained below 1000 cps, i.e., the actual in-orbit radiation-induced DCR increment rate was ∼0.54 cps/day, i.e., two orders of magnitude lower than those evoked by previous technologies, while its photon detection efficiency was > 45%. Our spaceborne, low-noise SPDs established a feasible satellite-based up-link quantum communication that was validated on the quantum experiment science satellite platform. Moreover, our SPDs open new windows of opportunities for space research and applications in deep-space optical communications, single-photon laser ranging, as well as for testing the fundamental principles of physics in space.
单光子探测器（SPD）在高灵敏度检测应用中发挥着重要作用，如荧光光谱学、遥感与测距、深空光通信、基本粒子探测和量子通信等。然而，太空中的恶劣条件，如辐射通量增加和热真空环境，严重限制了它们的噪声性能、可靠性和寿命。在此，我们展示了基于商用现货（COTS）硅雪崩光电二极管（APD）的星载、低噪声、高可靠性SPD的实例。基于硅APD对噪声辐射的高灵敏度，我们开发了特殊的屏蔽结构、多级冷却技术和可配置驱动电子设备，显著提高了COTS APD的可靠性，并降低了SPD对噪声辐射的灵敏度。这使得预期的在轨辐射诱导暗计数率（DCR）增长率从每天约219次计数每秒（cps）降至约0.76 cps/天。在长达1029天的连续在轨运行期间，SPD的DCR保持在1000 cps以下，即实际在轨辐射诱导的DCR增长率约为0.54 cps/天，比先前技术引发的增长率低两个数量级，同时其光子探测效率大于45%。我们的星载低噪声SPD建立了一种可行的基于卫星的上行链路量子通信，并在量子实验科学卫星平台上得到了验证。此外，我们的SPD为深空光通信、单光子激光测距等空间研究和应用以及在太空中测试物理基本原理打开了新的机遇之窗。
