Receiver having avigrant photodiode in Geiger mode and reading method

摘要

A light receiver (10, 50) having a plurality of avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c) which are biased with a bias voltage greater than a breakthrough voltage and are thus operated in a Geiger mode in order to trigger a Geiger current upon light reception, and having a signal detection circuit (50) for reading out the avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c), wherein the signal detection circuit (50) comprises an active coupling element (52) having an input (54) connected to the avalanche photo diode elements (10, 12a-c) and an output (56), the active coupling element (52) mapping the Geiger current at the input (54) to a measuring current corresponding to the Geiger current in its course and level, wherein the input (54) forms a virtual short-circuit for the Geiger current with respect to a potential (ground, −UBE; Uconst−UBE), and the output (56) is decoupled from the input (54).