Extending the operating temperature, wavelength and frequency response of HgCdTe heterodyne detectors
Abstract
Near ideal optical heterodyne performance was obtained at GHz IF frequencies in the 10 micrometer wavelength region with liquid nitrogen cooled HgCdTe photodiodes. Heterodyne NEP's as low as 2.7 x 10 to the minus 20th power W/Hz at 100MHz, 5.4 x 10 to the minus 20th power W/Hz at 1.5 GHz, and 9.4 x 19 to the minus 20th power W/Hz at 3 GHz were achieved. Various physical phenomena which occur within a photodiode and affect heterodyne operation were examined in order to assess the feasibility of extending the operating temperature, wavelength, and frequency response of these HgCdTe photomixers.
- Publication:
-
Heterodyne Systems and Technolology
- Pub Date:
- August 1980
- Bibcode:
- 1980hst..rept..309S
- Keywords:
-
- Cadmium;
- Frequency Response;
- Mercury (Metal);
- Optical Heterodyning;
- Tellurium;
- Absorption Spectra;
- Bandwidth;
- Optical Properties;
- Photodiodes;
- Semiconductor Devices;
- Lasers and Masers