PHOTON TO DIGITAL CONVERTERS WITH PICOSECONDS SINGLE PHOTON TIMING RESOLUTION

具有皮秒单光子定时分辨率的光子到数字转换器

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-05054
• 负责人: Pratte, JeanFrancois
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Université de Sherbrooke
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=754141
• 关键词: PHOTON; DIGITAL; CONVERTERS; PICOSECONDS; SINGLE

The use of sensors capable of de detecting a single photon is constantly increasing in applications ranging from smartphone 3D cameras and LIDARs to medical imaging and quantum cryptography. Even neutrino and dark matter fundamental experiments are planning the use up to 250 m2 of low power single photon detectors. My technology-driven research program is dedicated to the development of a groundbreaking Canadian technology called 3DdSiPM. It is formed by a photodiode array overlaid on and connected to an advanced electronic circuit. This state-of-the-art 3-dimensionnaly (3D) integrated detector has many advantages: maximizing photosensitive area, choosing and optimizing each layer's technology independently, and coupling 1-to-1 each photodiode to a dedicated electronic circuit. The latter is a key to provide unprecedented precision on the measurement of the time at which a photon was detected. Our goal is to reach a timing resolution of 10 ps which at the speed of light allows to find the distance of the photon source with a precision of a few millimeters. In this proposal, I will advance the development of time-to-digital converters (TDC) that allow such timing resolution to enable time-of-flight positron emission tomography (PET) and quantum key distribution (QKD). A timing resolution of 10 ps in PET will be a major breakthrough that will allow improving image quality, reducing the radioactivity dose, personalizing treatments and tracking treatment evolution. Our current devices now reach below 50 ps timing resolution. A first goal of this proposal is to reduce this further to reach the 10 ps goal. We will also implement a novel TDC architecture that offers better timing resolution with the same or shorter conversion time. We are in the process of patenting this new architecture and hope to transfer this to a major electronics company for its unmatched performances. Secure telecommunications using the quantum nature of photons is another focus of this proposal. With the collaboration of an expert in quantum cryptography (T. Jennewein, U. of Waterloo), I'm designing a new version of 3DdSiPM that will leverage its high timing resolution to enable a more efficient free-space QKD system. The new architecture will be particularly useful as it allows to reduce noise (higher timing resolution) and to increase key distribution rates (low conversion time). We hope to be able to use our detectors in the second version of the quantum satellite link project QEYSSAT led by my collaborator. The 3DdSiPM is a technology fabricated in collaboration with Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor (Bromont, Quebec). This offers students employment after graduation and gives them a unique opportunity to learn industrial semiconductor processing and to see how world class industries handle challenges.

从智能手机3D相机和激光雷达到医学成像和量子密码学，能够探测单个光子的传感器的应用不断增加。甚至中微子和暗物质的基础实验也计划使用高达250平方米的低功率单光子探测器。我的技术驱动型研究项目致力于开发一项开创性的加拿大技术，名为3DdSiPM。它是由一个光电二极管阵列覆盖并连接到一个先进的电子电路。这种最先进的三维（3D）集成探测器具有许多优点：最大化光敏面积，独立选择和优化每层技术，将每个光电二极管1对1耦合到专用电子电路。后者是提供前所未有的精确测量光子被探测时间的关键。我们的目标是达到10ps的时间分辨率，在光速下可以以几毫米的精度找到光子源的距离。在本提案中，我将推进时间-数字转换器（TDC）的开发，该转换器允许这样的时序分辨率，以实现飞行时间正电子发射断层扫描（PET）和量子密钥分发（QKD）。PET中10ps的时间分辨率将是一项重大突破，它将改善图像质量，降低放射性剂量，个性化治疗和跟踪治疗进展。我们目前的设备现在达到低于50ps的时序分辨率。该提案的第一个目标是进一步减少这种情况，以达到10ps的目标。我们还将实现一种新颖的TDC架构，在相同或更短的转换时间内提供更好的时序分辨率。我们正在为这种新架构申请专利，并希望将其转让给一家大型电子公司，因为它具有无与伦比的性能。利用光子量子特性的安全通信是该提案的另一个重点。在量子密码学专家（T. Jennewein， U. of Waterloo）的合作下，我正在设计一个新版本的3DdSiPM，它将利用其高时序分辨率来实现更有效的自由空间QKD系统。新架构将特别有用，因为它允许降低噪声（更高的时序分辨率）并增加密钥分发率（低转换时间）。我们希望能够在我的合作者领导的量子卫星链路项目QEYSSAT的第二个版本中使用我们的探测器。3DdSiPM是与Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor （Bromont, Quebec）合作制造的一项技术。这为学生提供了毕业后的就业机会，并为他们提供了一个独特的机会来学习工业半导体加工，并了解世界级工业如何应对挑战。