The challenges faced in a comparison of measuring the detection efficiency of free-running InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche detectors (InGaAs/InP SPAD) were studied by four European National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) meeting at a single laboratory. The main purpose of this study is to develop a trustable measurement technique and to provide a snapshot of the methods used by the four NMIs for measuring such photon-counting detectors at telecom wavelengths in order to establish proper procedures for characterising such devices. The detection efficiency measurements were performed using different experimental setups and reference standards with independent traceability chains at the wavelength of 1550 nm. A dedicated model to correct the dead time and dark count effects on the SPAD’s free-running counting process was developed, allowing the correct value of the photon rate impinging on the detector to be recovered from simple ratemeter measurements. The detection efficiency was measured for mean photon number per pulse between 0.01 and 2.4, corresponding to photon rates between approximately 1100 photon/s and 193,000 photon/s, respectively. We found that the measured values reported by the participants are all consistent within the stated uncertainties, proving the consistency of the measurement approach developed.

中文翻译：

---

研究开发用于测量自由运行InGaAs / InP单光子探测器探测效率的可靠方法

欧洲四个国家计量学会（NMI）在一个实验室开会，研究了比较自由运行InGaAs / InP单光子雪崩探测器（InGaAs / InP SPAD）的检测效率所面临的挑战。这项研究的主要目的是开发一种可信赖的测量技术，并提供四个NMI用于在电信波长下测量此类光子计数检测器的方法的简要介绍，以便建立表征此类设备的适当程序。使用不同的实验设置和参考标准品以及1550 nm波长处的独立追溯链进行检测效率的测量。开发了一种专用模型来校正SPAD自由运行计数过程中的停滞时间和暗计数影响，允许从简单的速率计测量中恢复撞击在检测器上的光子速率的正确值。测量每个脉冲的平均光子数在0.01和2.4之间的检测效率，分别对应于大约1100 photon / s和193,000 photon / s之间的光子速率。我们发现，参与者报告的测量值在所述不确定性范围内都是一致的，证明了所开发的测量方法的一致性。