Noise and Detection

*Thermal Noise : due to resistor in the detector circuit.

*Shot Noise : Pulses produced by individual electrons.
•Modal Noise
•Amplifier Noise
•Laser Noise
•Current Noise
•Background Noise
 Thermal Noise
INT
I
Detectors
RL electrical
bandwidth
A Time
PNT

Thermal Noise power, PNT = 4kTΔfTime

Boltman’s Temperature
constant
Detector current including Thermal Noise

ηeP
i Current
hf

Time
 ηePNoise
Shot
i Current
hf

Time
Current

ηeP Time
i Current
hf

Time
 Detector current including shot noise
Detectors
average
current Detectors
Shot Noise current, Dark current

i 2
NS  2eIf
Shot Noise
current,  ηeP 
i 2
NS  2eΔ f 
Charge of an  ID 
Detectors

 hf 
electron electrical
bandwidth
 Photodetector equivalent circuit
Series resistance
is very small.

Rs

Cd
is Rd RL

Equivalent circuit for semiconductor photodetector

We also design the load

We design the
resistance RL such that
photodetector such that
the diode capacitance RD is quite large.
does not limit the signal.
 Photodetector receiving circuit including noise
Another Current source
due to shot noise

is iNT iNS RL

External resistance
to detect current
Current source due to
Original source due to thermal noise
incident optical power
Signal to noise ratio SNR

We will consider two cases :

•Digital : constant optical power
•Analogue : time varying optical power
 SNR : digital signal

PES  i R L P
2
S NS
 ηeP
 2eΔ f 
 hf

 I D R L


is iNT iNS RL

Thermal Noise power, PNT = 4kTΔf

ηeP
i
hf
 ηeP 
i 2
NS  2eΔ f   ID 
 hf 
 SNR : digital signal
2
 ηeP 
PES  i R L  
2
S  RL
 hf 
 ηeP 
PNS  2eΔ f   I D R L
 hf 
PNT = 4kTΔf
2
 ηeP 
  RL
S  hf 

N  ηeP 
2eΔ f   I D R L  4kTΔ f
 hf 
 Shot Noise limited SNR
If dark current is negligible
Also known as Quantum limited SNR
2
 ηeP 
  RL
S  hf 

N  ηeP 
2eΔ f   I D R L  4kTΔ f
 hf  If thermal power
is negligible to
S ηP shot noise power


N 2hf  f 
 Thermal Noise limited SNR
If dark current is negligible

2
 ηeP 
  RL
S  hf 

N  ηeP 
2eΔ f   I D R L  4kTΔ f
 hf 

2
 ηeP  If thermal power
  RL dominates the
S  hf  shot noise power

N 4kTΔ f
LED output power =Numerical Example : SNRresponsivity
consideration
PIN Photodetector,
0.5A/W, I
10 mW at 850nm. D
LED
All connector
output power
and= =2nA, bandwidth 10
1.59
splices
mW==210dBm
dB MHz. temperature 300K

Entire fiber loss

20dB
Source coupling
loss 14dB

is iNT iNS RL= 50

Find (i) Received optic power

(ii) Detected signal power (iii) Shot noise power & SNR
(iv) Thermal noise power & SNR
LED output power = Numerical Example : SNR consideration
PIN Photodetector,
responsivity 0.5A/W,
10 mW at 850nm.
LED
All connector
output power
and= ID =2nA
1.59
splices
mW==210dBm
dB

Entire fiber loss Total Loss = 44dB

20dB
Source coupling
loss 14dB Input power = 10 mW

Power received by detector PR = ( 10-4.4 ) * 10 mW =0.4 W

Detector current, is = PR = 0.5*0.4 = 200nA

We notice that the dark current (2nA) is negligible than signal current.

Signal power PES = i2s RL = (200nA)2 (50R) = 2X10-12 W

 Numerical Example : SNR consideration
Signal power PES = i2s RL = (200nA)2 (50R) = 2X10-12 W

Shot Noise power PNS = 2eis Δf RL

= 2  (1.6  10-19)  (200 10-9) (10 106)  50 = 3.2 10-17 W

Thermal Noise power PNT = 4kTΔf

= 4  (1.38  10-23)  (300 )(10 106) = 1.66 10-13 W

We notice that the thermal noise power is almost 4 orders

of magnitude greater than the shot noise power.

Therefore we may conclude that the system is a thermal

noise limited system.
Therefore we may conclude that the system is a thermal
noiseNumerical
limited system.
Example : SNR consideration
Thermal noise limited SNR
12
S PES 2 10
  13
 12  10.8dB
N PNS 1.66  10
Shot noise limited SNR
12
S PES 2 10
  17
 62500  48dB
N PNT 3.2  10
Signal to noise ratio SNR

We promised to consider two cases :

•Digital : constant optical power
•Analogue : time varying optical power

We have just considered case I :Digital :

connector
constant optical power
•Analogue : time varying optical power

Now we consider case II : Analogue : time

varying optical power
 SNR : time varying signal
2
1  mMηMη
PES    RL
2  hf 
 ηeP 
PNS  M 2eΔ f 
n
 I D R L
 hf 
PNT = 4kTΔf
2
 m  Meη P 
2

 
  RL
S  2  hf 

N  ηeP 
n
M 2eΔ f   I D  R L  4kTΔ f
 hf 
SNR : Time varying signal