Question

For a SPAD operating in Geiger mode with no impinging photons, a dark count rate of 50 counts and no afterpulsing, draw the voltage output vs time for a period of 100.

A) Sketch
B) Analyze
C) Draw
D) Create

Answer 1

The voltage output vs time for a SPAD in Geiger mode with a dark count rate of 50 counts and no afterpulsing would show random spikes corresponding to the dark counts over a flat baseline.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to a SPAD (Single-Photon Avalanche Diode) operating in Geiger mode and involves understanding the voltage output over time when there are no impinging photons, a dark count rate of 50 counts, and no afterpulsing effects. To visualize the output, one would expect to see a flat baseline voltage with discrete, sharp spikes representing the dark counts. These spikes occur randomly in time due to the dark count phenomenon, where the detector registers counts even in the absence of light, often due to thermal fluctuations or inherent electronic noise.

Since there is no afterpulsing, the spikes would not have any predictable pattern or sequence following each initial spike. Over the course of 100 microseconds, one would expect an average of 50 dark count spikes, distributed somewhat evenly in time, although the exact distribution is random.

For the fraction of decays being observed, this would involve calculating the decay rate of the Polonium-210 source, which has a half-life of 138.376 days.