Date of Award

8-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Computer Engineering and Sciences

First Advisor

Susan K. Earles

Second Advisor

Samuel Kozaitis

Third Advisor

Josko Zec

Fourth Advisor

Maria Pozo de Fernandez

Abstract

The problem of detecting a single-photon is receiving considerable attention with the development of new single-photon detectors in stressed free-space optical communication, low probability of intercept (LPI) optical communication, quantum communication, and remote sensing. The theoretical modeling of the waveforms of the single-photon detector output produced in particular systems will expedite the search for and analysis of detected signals. A mathematical model of the output current of a single-photon avalanche detector (SPAD) gated with sinusoidal and Gaussian signals is developed and discussed. The mathematical model is combined with existing circuit and physical models to produce a compact model of the SPAD. Compact modeling of single-photon detectors allows the performance of single-photon detectors to be further improved. This compact model eliminates the ambiguous calculation of the output current, dark count rate, and photon detection efficiency produced by the singlephoton avalanche detector.

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