InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diode operated in gated mode for time-resolved diffuse optical spectroscopy up to 1700 nm

摘要

Time-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy is being applied with increasing success to study highly scattering media, mainly in the fields of non-invasive medical diagnostics and quality assessment of food and pharmaceutical products. The region beyond 1100 nm is still largely unexplored by time-domain techniques, probably due to the difficult combination of tunable pulsed sources and suitable single-photon detectors. We extend the spectral range up to 1700 nm thanks to a pulsed supercontinuum laser and a time-gated InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diode, with potential applications in medical diagnostics and in the study of scattering materials. A first application on lipids is shown.