Testing quality of photon counters.

Laser Components can now test up to twelve COUNT® photon counters simultaneously for all crucial values using a fully automated measuring station from Swabian Instruments. With this new technology and continuous process optimization, the company has not only succeeded in accelerating the quality control of COUNT® modules but measurement accuracy has also been further improved as well. Customers can be sure that the photon counters operate with the highest precision and the lowest possible error tolerance.

The measuring station was tailored precisely to their requirements. At its core is a Time Tagger Ultra from Swabian Instruments. A proprietary data processing architecture makes this technology particularly well suited for time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), time interval counting, and coincidence counting. Laser Components uses it in conjunction with ultra-short-pulsed diode lasers, high-precision reference power meters, and computer-controlled moving tables. At four wavelengths (405 nm, 505 nm, 670 nm, and 804 nm), performance parameters such as jitter, dark count rate, afterpulsing, dead time, and detection efficiency are determined. COUNT® modules can be tested with and without fiber coupling. The results are digitally logged for later access – for example, as part of a trend analysis.

“Through the close cooperation with Swabian Instruments, we obtained a measuring station that is optimally adapted to our processes,” explains Dr. Lars Mechold, CTO at Laser Components. “This not only allowed us to further improve the quality control of our products. The optimized manufacturing process means shorter delivery times and better availability for our customers.”

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