Photon-counting laser ranging with InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode in the passively quenched and 1-GHz sinusoidally gated

We experimentally studied photon-counting laser ranging at 1550 nm using InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode based single-photon detectors (SPDs). The SPDs operated in the passive quenching and 1-GHz sinusoidal gating Geiger modes, corresponding to continuous and quasi-continuous photon-counting ranging, respectively. Despite that the passively quenched SPD provided relatively high effective detection efficiency, quasi-continuous photon-counting ranging excelled the continuous one with fast acquisition speed and improved depth resolution due to the short deadtime and low timing jitter of the SPD in 1-GHz sinusoidally gated mode.