10 GHz radiation-hardened photodiode to fly on satellite lidar

June 1, 2006
A radiation-hardened indium gallium arsenide photodiode developed by researchers at Discovery Semiconductors (Ewing, NJ) and Tesat Spacecom (Backnang, Germany) for space applications has a bandwidth that exceeds 10 GHz.

A radiation-hardened indium gallium arsenide photodiode developed by researchers at Discovery Semiconductors (Ewing, NJ) and Tesat Spacecom (Backnang, Germany) for space applications has a bandwidth that exceeds 10 GHz. Mounted on an alumina substrate, the 30 µm diameter photodiode is sensitive from 800 to 1700 nm, with a broad peak between about 1300 and 1600 nm; at 1064 nm, its responsivity is 0.45 A/W with an optical-return loss of 40 dB. Radiation testing (while fiber-coupled to light sources at 1300 and 1550 nm) included irradiation by 50 kRad of gamma rays, as well as protons at a fluence of 3 x 1011/cm2, with no change to the device’s bandwidth, responsivity, or dark current.

Fabricated using a dual-depletion process, the p-i-n photodetector will become part of a reference-laser head (a seed laser for UV lidar) in the Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument that will be flown on the European Space Agency’s ADM-Aeolus Earth-observation satellite to be launched in 2007. Reliability testing for the detector showed 0.011 and 15.384 failures per billions of hours of operations at 25°C and 75°C, respectively. Contact Abhay Joshi at [email protected].

Sponsored Recommendations

March 31, 2025
Enhance your remote sensing capabilities with Chroma's precision-engineered optical filters, designed for applications such as environmental monitoring, geospatial mapping, and...
March 31, 2025
Designed for compatibility with a wide range of systems, Chroma's UV filters are engineered to feature high transmission, superior out-of-band blocking, steep edge transitions...
March 31, 2025
Discover strategies to balance component performance and system design, reducing development time and costs while maximizing efficiency.
March 31, 2025
Explore the essential role of optical filters in enhancing Raman spectroscopy measurements including the various filter types and their applications in improving signal-to-noise...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!