Advances in Single Photon Detectors
A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Sensors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1913
Special Issue Editors
2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
Interests: high-speed single avalanche photodiodes (SPADs); high-performance CMOS time-to-digital converters and their applications for biomedical imaging
Interests: micro-/nano-/opto-electronics; nanotechnology and data analytics for health and environmental applications; bioimagers; biosensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Recent advances in single-photon detection technologies have led to breakthroughs across quantum computing, medical diagnostics, and next-generation optical systems. CMOS-integrated single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are particularly transformative, combining a nanosecond-scale resolution with scalable semiconductor manufacturing. This integration enables full system-on-chip implementations that pair photon detection with advanced signal processing circuits, enhancing their commercial viability.
The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:
A. Core Technological Developments
- Device Optimization: Novel SPAD architectures achieving >40% photon detection efficiency at 905nm wavelengths; multi-layer 3D integration techniques reducing dark count rates to extremely low levels; and advanced quenching circuit designs enabling GHz-scale counting rates.
- System Integration Challenges: Reducing crosstalk using isolation technologies or optical shielding; reducing timing jitter using high-performance TDC architectures with ~ps resolution; and scalability using wafer-level bonding for large arrays.
B. Emerging Applications
- Quantum Technologies: Quantum key distribution networks using SPAD arrays and entangled photon detection for quantum repeaters.
- Medical Imaging Frontiers: FLIM systems achieving excellent timing resolution for cancer margin detection; silicon photomultipliers enabling compact PET scanner designs; and other imaging modalities such as diffuse optical imaging and Raman spectroscopy.
- Photonics-Driven Sensing: LiDAR systems with excellent distance ranging capabilities using VCSEL-SPAD pairs, and underwater optical communications at high data rates.
This Special Issue seeks contributions that address critical gaps related to noise suppression techniques, multi-spectral detection arrays, and hybrid quantum–classical detection systems. We particularly welcome the submission of articles that present field-deployable prototypes with performance benchmarks.
Dr. Wei Jiang
Prof. Dr. M. Jamal Deen
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD)
- quantum sensing
- medical imaging
- time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC)
- LiDAR
- FLIM
- quantum key distribution (QKD)
- optical wireless communication, etc.
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