Abstract

Implementation of optical preamplifier or heterodyne detection schemes requires high incident optical power on photodetectors (PD's) in optical communication receivers. System bandwidths are extending up to 20 GHz and require PD’s with thin depletion regions (−0.5 μm) and small active area diameters (−25 um). The effects of the resulting large space-charge earner density (10¹⁶ cm⁻³) on carrier transport and collection time have been measured in terms of harmonic distortion,^1,2 have been modeled,³ and are here characterized for the first time in terms of reduction of detector bandwidth (BW) and time-domain signal distortion.

© 1991 Optical Society of America