Measurements of the operating characteristics of a large-area          avalanche photodiode

Frederick Martin; Gerald Entine; Richard Farrell

doi:10.1117/12.56040

1 January 1992 Measurements of the operating characteristics of a large-area avalanche photodiode

Frederick Martin, Gerald Entine, Richard Farrell

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 31, Issue 1, (January 1992). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.56040

Abstract

We have measured the dark current (I_d) and noise equivalent power (NEP) of four large-area (~0.8 cm²) avalanche photodiodes (APD) to determine their sensitivity limit for detecting weak optical communication signals. We found that from room temperature down to about -10°C the I_d decreased by one-half for every 8-deg drop in temperature and the NEP decreased by one-half for every 16-deg drop in temperature. Below this temperature, the NEP leveled off at somewhat less than 5 pW in a 100-kHz bandwidth. We describe the measurement technique, present an analysis of the data, and discuss the statistical properties of these APDs according to the model developed by McIntyre et al.

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Frederick Martin, Gerald Entine, and Richard Farrell "Measurements of the operating characteristics of a large-area avalanche photodiode," Optical Engineering 31(1), (1 January 1992). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.56040

Published: 1 January 1992

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