Abstract

The accurate measurement of optical power requires detectors that have a reproducible and well understood response to light, high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. In most radiometric applications, simple direct optical power detectors are used in which the flux of radiation to be measured is allowed to fall upon a photosensitive device that produces an electrical current proportional to the incident optical power. However, direct detectors are often limited in sensitivity and dynamic range, and the most sensitive direct detectors such as photomultipliers often suffer from gain fluctuations and nonuniform response to light [1].

© 1988 Optical Society of America