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
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
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