空间硅单光子探测器的辐射诱导暗计数
Radiation-Induced Dark Counts for Silicon Single-Photon Detectors in Space
摘要：
在卫星上运行的用于量子通信网络的单光子探测器可能会因空间的自然辐射环境而导致暗计数率大幅增加。电离辐射对探测器的材料晶格的位移损坏可导致探测器中的永久暗计数增加。在这项工作中，我们分析了在不同轨道高度的卫星上的硅单光子雪崩二极管的辐射诱导的暗计数率，以及，从核扰动环境造成的高空核爆炸的额外辐射。对于低地球轨道卫星上的探测器来说，质子是辐射损伤的最大来源，最好通过选择一个在穿过南大西洋异常区和极地尖点时最大限度地减少暴露的轨道来减轻。中地球轨道和地球静止轨道卫星上的探测器，如果用10毫米以上的铝屏蔽，就探测器受到的辐射损害最小而言，是最好的平台。如果发生高空核爆炸，爆炸产生的人造辐射带将对低地球轨道卫星上的硅单光子探测器造成太大的破坏，并在不到一天的时间内使其无法进行量子通信。高轨道卫星只会受到人造辐射带的轻微暗计数率增加。
英文摘要：
Single-photon detectors operating on satellites for use in a quantum communications network can incur large dark count rate increases from the natural radiation environment of space. Displacement damage to the material lattice of a detector from the ionizing radiation can result in a permanent dark count increase in the detector. In this work, we analyze the radiation-induced dark count rate of a silicon single-photon avalanche diode onboard a satellite at different orbiting altitudes, as well as, the additional radiation from a nuclear-disturbed environment caused by a high-altitude nuclear explosion. For detectors on low Earth orbit satellites, protons are the biggest source of radiation damage and are best mitigated by choosing an orbit that minimizes exposure when passing through the South Atlantic Anomaly and Polar Cusps. Detectors on medium Earth orbit and geostationary orbit satellites, if shielded by more than 10 mm of aluminum, provide the best platform in terms of the least amount of radiation damage to the detectors. In the event of a high-altitude nuclear explosion, the artificial radiation belts produced by the explosion will cause too much damage to silicon single-photon detectors on low Earth orbit satellites and render them unfit for quantum communications in less than a day. Higher orbit satellites will only suffer minor dark count rate increases from the artificial radiation belts.
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