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Single-photon detectors (SPDs) play important roles in highly sensitivedetection applications, such as fluorescence spectroscopy, remote sensing andranging, deep space optical communications, elementary particle detection, andquantum communications. However, the adverse conditions in space, such as theincreased radiation flux and thermal vacuum, severely limit their noiseperformances, reliability, and lifetime. Herein, we present the first exampleof spaceborne, low-noise, high reliability SPDs, based on commercialoff-the-shelf (COTS) silicon avalanche photodiodes (APD). Based on the highnoise-radiation sensitivity of silicon APD, we have developed special shieldingstructures, multistage cooling technologies, and configurable driverelectronics that significantly improved the COTS APD reliability and mitigatedthe SPD noise-radiation sensitivity. This led to a reduction of the expectedin-orbit radiation-induced dark count rate (DCR) from ~219 counts per second(cps) per day to ~0.76 cps/day. During a continuous period of continuousoperations in orbit which spanned of 1029 days, the SPD DCR was maintainedbelow 1000 cps, i.e., the actual in-orbit radiation-induced DCR increment ratewas ~0.54 cps/day, i.e., two orders of magnitude lower than those evoked byprevious technologies, while its photon detection efficiency was > 45%. Ourspaceborne, low-noise SPDs established a feasible satellite-based up-linkquantum communication that was validated on the quantum experiment sciencesatellite platform. Moreover, our SPDs open new windows of opportunities forspace research and applications in deep-space optical communications,single-photon laser ranging, as well as for testing the fundamental principlesof physics in space.

Spaceborne low-noise single-photon detection for satellite-based quantum communications