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Analysis of Timing Errors in Time-of-Flight LiDAR Using APDs and SPADs Receivers

We analyze the ultimate timing error that can be achieved in the operation of a LiDAR based on the time-of-flight (ToF) measurement of distance using a pulsed light source and two possible detectors in the optic receiver: (i) an avalanche photodiode APD in linear mode, and (ii) a SPAD single photon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE journal of quantum electronics 2021-02, Vol.57 (1), p.1-8
Main Authors: Donati, Silvano, Martini, Giuseppe, Pei, Zingway, Cheng, Wood-Hi
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We analyze the ultimate timing error that can be achieved in the operation of a LiDAR based on the time-of-flight (ToF) measurement of distance using a pulsed light source and two possible detectors in the optic receiver: (i) an avalanche photodiode APD in linear mode, and (ii) a SPAD single photon detector. We analyze both the random and systematic contributions to the total error and find that the latter becomes dominant at large ( > 10^{2} ) number of detected photons \text{N}_{\text {ph}} . However, the systematic error can be cancelled by a separate measurement of \text{N}_{\text {ph}} . As a conclusion, it is found that, aside from a multiplicative factor of the order of unity, all the schemes supply a timing error given by \tau /\surd N_{\text {ph}} , where \tau is the characteristic time describing the illumination waveform. The theory we have developed provides a theoretical framework for the evaluation of the precision of time-of-flight measurement, and the results are applicable as a benchmark of the timing performance obtained by practical instruments.
ISSN:0018-9197
1558-1713
DOI:10.1109/JQE.2020.3043090