Three Terminal Microwave-Optical PIN Diode and its Application in Microwave Circuits

There is a growing interest in optically controlled microwave devices and systems. This paper is concerned with the design, fabrication, modeling and application of optically stimulated microwave PIN diodes. A microwave PIN device was modified to facilitate optical injection of carriers into the intrinsic region. The optical port transforms the PIN into a three terminal device. The device was characterized at low frequencies and its utilization as a phase-shifter and as a switch were explored at X-band. Based on these results recommendations for improved performance were developed.