Afterpulse Background Suppression in Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting Lifetime Experiments using Optimized Gate Filter

Using a monostable multivibrator, the signal-dependent afterpulsing background from a single photon avalanche diode was suppressed. This digital filter gate was characterized and optimized using photoluminescence decay lifetime measurements to show a reduction in systematic error that is 25% of the measured lifetime and ∼500X improvement in acquisition time when compared with the time taken to obtain a comparably reliable result by reduction of the repetition rate to suppress afterpulsing. At 10 MHz, there is an increase in the linear dynamic range from $\sim 2\tau$ to $\sim 6\tau$, where the lifetime. $\tau$, was measured to be $(5.0\pm 0.1)$ ns. Lifetime measurements were performed with a pulsed 510 nm diode laser, a 500 nm GaAs layer (sandwiched between InGaP capping layers), a silicon single-photon avalanche photodiode and time-correlated single photon counting electronics.