HydraHarp 500
High-Resolution Multichannel Time Tagging & TCSPC Unit
Quantity
Key Highlights
Exceptional timing precision
Flexible trigger options
Upgradable channel configuration
High throughput via USB & external FPGA interface
Remote synchronization via White Rabbit
Smart on-board event filters
Description
The PicoQuant HydraHarp 500 is a high-resolution multichannel Time Tagging and Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) unit designed for experiments requiring precise timing of multiple photon detection events. With a 1 ps base resolution and typical timing precision of 2.5 ps RMS for single-channel measurements, the HydraHarp 500 provides the temporal resolution needed for demanding photon-counting and time-resolved experiments. Its ultrashort dead time of less than 680 ps allows multiple photon events to be recorded with minimal timing loss, making it particularly suitable for high-count-rate measurements. The system provides a scalable multichannel architecture with configurations ranging from 4+1 to 16+1 channels, where the additional channel is used for synchronization. The HydraHarp 500-S supports both edge triggering and Constant Fraction Discriminator (CFD) operation, while the HydraHarp 500-M is designed for larger channel counts using edge triggering. For photon event acquisition, the HydraHarp 500 supports Time-Tagged Time-Resolved (TTTR) operation, allowing individual photon events to be recorded with their precise arrival times. This enables advanced analyses such as photon correlations, fluorescence lifetime measurements, coincidence measurements, and second-order correlation measurements such as g². The HydraHarp 500 also provides extensive synchronization capabilities, including reference clock inputs, pulse-per-second synchronization, and White Rabbit support, making it suitable for distributed and multi-device experiments where accurate timing synchronization is essential.
Specifications
Parameter | Specification |
Product Type | Multichannel Time Tagging & TCSPC Unit |
Measurement Modes | TCSPC, Time Tagging, Histogramming, TTTR |
Detection Channels | 4–16 + 1 synchronization channel |
HydraHarp 500-S | 4–8 detection channels + Sync |
HydraHarp 500-M | 4–16 detection channels + Sync |
Minimum Time Bin Width | 1 ps |
Timing Precision | 2.5 ps RMS typical, single-channel |
Start-Stop Timing Precision | 3.5 ps RMS typical, between channels |
Dead Time | <680 ps (edge trigger) |
Dead Time with CFD | 6.8 ns |
Maximum Sync Rate | 1200 MHz (edge trigger); 140 MHz (CFD) |
Sustained Count Rate / Channel | 80 Mcps |
Total Sustained Count Rate | 85 Mcps |
Peak Count Rate / Channel | 1.25 × 10⁹ cps for bursts up to 2048 events |
Maximum Histogram Bins | 131,072 |
Count Depth | 32 bit / 4,294,967,296 counts |
External Marker Inputs | 4 |
Input Impedance | 50 Ω |
Input Pulse Width | ≥0.4 ns |
Input Rise/Fall Time | ≤20 ns |
Input Voltage Damage Level | ±2500 mV |
Trigger Type | Edge Trigger; CFD depending on configuration |
Interface | USB 3.0 |
External FPGA Interface | Available |
Reference Clock Input | 10 MHz, 100 MHz, or 500 MHz |
Synchronization | Ref In / Ref Out / PPS In / White Rabbit |
Internal Clock Accuracy | ±300 ppb |
Internal Clock Stability | ±10 ppb |
Application
Quantum Communication High-precision photon timing and coincidence measurements for quantum communication systems, including experiments using single photons and entangled photon pairs. PicoQuant specifically positions the HydraHarp 500 for large-scale quantum communication experiments.
Quantum Computing Multichannel photon-event timing for photonic quantum computing, detector characterization, and large-scale quantum experiments.
Quantum Optics Suitable for photon correlation, coincidence measurements, antibunching, and second-order correlation measurements such as g²(τ).
Single-Photon Detection Designed to work with high-performance single-photon detectors, including SPADs, PMTs, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and other fast photon-counting detectors.
Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) High-resolution photon arrival-time measurements for fluorescence lifetime and other time-resolved experiments.
Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements Precise photon timing for fluorescence decay analysis and time-resolved fluorescence research.
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) High-speed time-tagged photon acquisition for correlation analysis of molecular dynamics and fluorescence fluctuations.
Time-Resolved Photoluminescence (TRPL) Measurement of photoluminescence decay and excited-state dynamics in semiconductors, 2D materials, quantum emitters, and other advanced materials.
Photon Correlation & Coincidence Measurements Multichannel event timing enables correlation and coincidence measurements between multiple photon detectors.
Photon Statistics Suitable for measuring photon-number statistics and temporal correlations in quantum and photonic systems.
LiDAR, Ranging & Time-of-Flight High-resolution time-of-arrival measurements for applications requiring precise photon timing and ranging.
Multi-Device Synchronization Reference clock, PPS, and White Rabbit capabilities support synchronized measurements across multiple instruments and distributed experimental systems.