Note: Simple calibration of the counting-rate dependence of the timing shift of single photon avalanche diodes by photon interval analysis.

The counting-rate dependence of the temporal response of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) is a critical issue for the accurate determination of the fluorescence lifetime. In this study, the response of SPADs was examined with analyzing the time interval of the detected photons. The results clearly show that the shift of the detection timing causes the counting-rate dependence of the temporal response, and this timing shift is solely determined by the time interval from the preceding photon. We demonstrate that this timing instability is readily calibrated by utilizing the macrotime data taken with the time-tag mode that is implemented in the time-correlated single photon counting modules.