High performance single stage shaper-preamplifier for optical gated signals

A new single stage, low noise, shaper-preamplifier for opticalgated signals is described. Careful layout and accurate componentselection allow the use of CMOS analogue switches before signalamplification without deterioration of the noise performance ofthe preamplifier. With a silicon photodiode, the minimumdetectable signal is less then 3000 photons for a pulse duration of960 us at l = 810nm