On the application of a monolithic array for detecting intensity-correlated photons emitted by different source types

• Published in: Optics express 2009-08, Vol.17 (17), p.15087-15103
• Main Authors: Boiko, D L, Gunther, N J, Brauer, N, Sergio, M, Niclass, C, Beretta, G B, Charbon, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Equipment Design - methods; Helium - chemistry; Interferometry - methods; Lasers; Light; Models, Statistical; Neon - chemistry; Optics and Photonics; Photons; Reproducibility of Results
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.17.015087

It is not widely appreciated that many subtleties are involved in the accurate measurement of intensity-correlated photons; even for the original experiments of Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT). Using a monolithic 4 x 4 array of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), together with an off-chip algorithm for processing streaming data, we investigate the difficulties of measuring second-order photon correlations g((2))(x(iota), t(iota),x, t) in a wide variety of light fields that exhibit dramatically different correlation statistics: a multimode He-Ne laser, an incoherent intensity-modulated lamp-light source and a thermal light source. Our off-chip algorithm treats multiple photon-arrivals at pixel-array pairs, in any observation interval, with photon fluxes limited by detector saturation, in such a way that a correctly normalized g((2)) function is guaranteed. The impact of detector background correlations between SPAD pixels and afterpulsing effects on second-order coherence measurements is discussed. These results demonstrate that our monolithic SPAD array enables access to effects that are otherwise impossible to measure with stand-alone detectors.