Photon Detection Efficiency Calculator (SiPM)

Calculate photon detection efficiency for Silicon Photomultipliers with responsivity, gain, and probability parameters

SiPM Parameters

Photocurrent per unit optical power

Wavelength of incident light

Charge multiplication factor

%

Probability of optical crosstalk

%

Probability of afterpulsing events

Photon Detection Efficiency Results

0.000%
Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE)
0.000%
Quantum Efficiency
0
Effective Gain

Formula: PDE = (R × h × c) / (e × λ × G × (1 + P_XT) × (1 + P_AP))

Constants:

h = 6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J⋅s (Planck's constant)

c = 2.998 × 10⁸ m/s (Speed of light)

e = 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ C (Elementary charge)

Example Calculation

Medical Imaging SiPM

Application: PET/SPECT detector for medical imaging

Responsivity: 150,000 A/W

Wavelength: 420 nm (blue light from scintillator)

Gain: 1,000,000

Crosstalk Probability: 20%

Afterpulsing Probability: 4%

Calculation Result

PDE = (150,000 × 6.626×10⁻³⁴ × 2.998×10⁸) / (1.602×10⁻¹⁹ × 420×10⁻⁹ × 1,000,000 × 1.2 × 1.04)

PDE ≈ 35.5%

Excellent efficiency for single photon detection in medical imaging

SiPM vs PMT

SiPM Advantages

  • • Magnetic field immunity
  • • Low voltage operation
  • • Compact size
  • • High gain

PMT Advantages

  • • Lower dark count
  • • Better timing resolution
  • • Lower crosstalk
  • • Established technology

Common Wavelengths

UV200-400 nm
Blue400-500 nm
Green500-600 nm
Red600-700 nm
Near-IR700-1000 nm

SiPM Optimization Tips

Match wavelength to peak sensitivity

Control temperature to reduce dark count

Optimize bias voltage for best PDE

Consider fill factor in array designs

Account for crosstalk in signal processing

Understanding Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM)

What is a SiPM?

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are novel semiconductor photodetectors that can detect single photons and provide high gain amplification. They consist of thousands of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating in Geiger mode, connected in parallel.

Key Characteristics

  • Single photon sensitivity with high gain (10⁵ - 10⁶)
  • Fast response time (sub-nanosecond)
  • Low operating voltage (20-100V)
  • Magnetic field immunity

PDE Formula Breakdown

PDE = (R × h × c) / (e × λ × G × (1 + P_XT) × (1 + P_AP))

R: Responsivity (A/W)

h: Planck's constant

c: Speed of light

e: Elementary charge

λ: Wavelength

G: Gain

P_XT: Crosstalk probability

P_AP: Afterpulsing probability

Applications

  • Medical imaging (PET, SPECT)
  • High energy physics experiments
  • LiDAR and range finding
  • Fluorescence lifetime imaging
  • Quantum optics experiments