Single-Photon Depth Imaging Using a Photodetector With a Wire-Bonding Quenching Resistor

Single-photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) provides high temporal resolution and photon sensitivity, which are essential for long-range 3-D imaging. Despite important progress, LiDAR has yet to gain widespread adoption due to the high cost caused by the poor yield and the complicated process of the single-photon detectors. Here, we integrate a passive quenching resistor via wire bonding during the packaging of InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) and propose the corresponding readout circuit. The module can achieve a 3.96% afterpulse probability at 20% photon detection efficiency (PDE) which is comparable with the commercial devices and previous reports but with lower cost and a more straightforward process. In the meanwhile, we demonstrate a 3-D active imaging using the single-photon detection module in foggy condition and propose a super-resolution imaging algorithm in multidepth. We introduce the 3-D imaging system including the design of the chip, packaging, readout circuit and active imaging system. This work is valuable for improving the performance of LiDAR from multiple aspects.