Enhanced model of quantum efficiency for the optical simulation of photodetectors

Photodetector manufacturers provide characteristic data of their devices, such as quantum efficiency, in the form of diagrams as a function of wavelength. Though these are appropriate in most measuring situations, for simulation purposes their application is not straightforward. We present a method to convert quantum efficiency into a model that can be built into simulation tools generally used for the design of PET detectors. The model parameters are determined from the measurement of the wavelength dependent reflectance of the photo-sensitive detector surface. The effect of how the new quantum efficiency model influences the results of simulations is presented on a simple detector arrangement.