Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PIN and APD Photodiode Characteristics
PIN and APD Photodiode Characteristics
Warning: High Voltages are uses in this exercise and special care should be taken at all times.
Background:
PIN diodes and APDs are the most common devices used to convert light at the output of a fibre into an
electrical current, which can be subsequently processed in an electrical receiver. Further background
material is contained in the Appendix to this exercise.
Method:
To carry out this exercise a stable reference source of light at about 850 nm is needed. A cased LED
source is provided for this purpose. The LED source is mains powered. The LED DC current can be set
by a potentiometer on the front panel of the unit. A pair of terminals is also provided in the front panel of
the LED source to measure the LED current. For this exercise these terminals can be shorted together
using a short lead with 4mm plugs at each end.
Plug in the LED source and switch on using the rear panel switch. Connect the LED to the optical power
meter using the fibre patchcord provided and adjust the LED output power level until the measured output
power from the fibre is a close as possible to 10 W (-20 dBm). Record the exact value of fibre output
power for reference. Ensure that the fibre optic power meter is set for operation at 850 nm, by pressing the
key. The optical power level set is now the reference source power for the rest of the exercise and
2002
When the exercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to storage and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres, optical sources etc..
should not be altered again. Make sure also that the fibre is not under stress or tightly wound when
taking the reference as this could make the reference setting invalid.
Results:
Optical Communications Systems Laboratory, Dr. Gerald Farrell
2002
When the exercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to storage and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres, optical sources etc..
Record all of the results listed in the paragraphs above. Compare your responsivity values with the typical
values found in the literature for such devices.
2002
When the exercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to storage and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres, optical sources etc..
1000
100
10
1 1
10
100
Dark Current
In the absence of light a small dark current flows in a photodiode which is caused by leakage in the reverse biased
photodiode. It has a very small effect in the performance of a receiver in terms of sensitivity and is ignored in any further
analysis. It has been shown that dark currents less than 0.l nA have very little effect. Finally photodiodes normally
exhibit rise and fall times less than one nano-second. In APD's the depletion capacitance increases rapidly below a
certain reverse bias voltage; so to maintain fast rise and fall times a minimum bias voltage is maintained.
Optical Communications Systems Laboratory, Dr. Gerald Farrell
2002
When the exercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to storage and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres, optical sources etc..
2002
When the exercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to storage and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres, optical sources etc..