Study of the response and photon-counting resolution of silicon photomultipliers using a generic simulation framework

Abstract

We present a generic framework for the simulation of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) which enables detailed modelling of the SiPM response using basic SiPM parameters and geometry as an input. Depending on the specified SiPM properties which can be determined from basic characterisation measurements, the simulation generates the signal charge and pulse shape for arbitrary incident light pulse distributions. The simulation has been validated in the whole dynamic range for a Hamamatsu S10362-11-100C MPPC and was used to study the effect of different noise sources like optical cross-talk and after-pulsing on the response curve and the photon-counting resolution.