Articolo in rivista, 2017, ENG, 10.1109/JPHOT.2016.2632061

A Compact Two-Wavelength Time-Domain NIRS System Based on SiPM and Pulsed Diode Lasers

M. Buttafava and E. Martinenghi and D. Tamborini and D. Contini and A. D. Mora and M. Renna and A. Torricelli and A. Pifferi and F. Zappa and A. Tosi

Politecnico di Milano; Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie;

This paper presents a complete, compact, and low power consumption instrument designed for time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy. It employs two custom-designed pulsed diode lasers (operating at 830 and 670 nm, with average optical power higher than 2 mW at 40 MHz repetition frequency), a single-photon detection module (based on a 1 mm2 active area silicon photomultiplier), and a custom time-to-digital converter with 10 ps time resolution. The system experimental characterization shows an instrument response function narrower than 300 ps (full-width at half maximum), with measurement stability better than ?1% over several hours of operation. The instrument, which is housed into a compact aluminum case (size 200 ? 160 ? 50 mm3), is specifically tailored for portability and ease of operation, hence fostering the diffusion of time-domain diffuse optics techniques. Thanks to a total power consumption lower than 10 W, this system is suitable for battery operation, thus enabling on-field measurements.

IEEE PHOTONICS JOURNAL 9 (1), pp. 1–14

Keywords

Diode lasers, Instruments;Semiconductor lasers;Time-domain analysis;Measurement by laser beam;Optics;Photonics;Time-domain;diffuse optics;near-infrared spectroscopy;single-photon;silicon photomultiplier;pulsed diode laser;time-to-digital converter

CNR authors

Pifferi Antonio Giovanni, Torricelli Alessandro

CNR institutes

IFN – Istituto di fotonica e nanotecnologie