Title :
Noise performance of a GaAs MESFET as an optical detector and as an optoelectronic mixer in analogue optical links
Author :
Urey, Z. ; Wu, Dalei ; Gomes, Nathan J. ; Davies, Peter A.
Author_Institution :
Kent Univ., Canterbury, UK
Abstract :
Noise measurements with a GaAs MESFET employed as a photodetector or as an optoelectronic mixer are reported. Despite its higher noise it is shown that with proper biasing the GaAs MESFET provided a higher carrier-to-noise ratio than a pin photodiode, and as an optoelectronic mixer provided a comparable signal-to-noise ratio to that of a conventional pin and microwave mixer combination. The implications of using GaAs MESFETs in these configurations are discussed.
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; Schottky gate field effect transistors; gallium arsenide; integrated optoelectronics; mixers (circuits); optical links; optical receivers; photodetectors; semiconductor device noise; solid-state microwave devices; GaAs; GaAs MESFET; analogue optical links; carrier-to-noise ratio; noise; optical detector; optoelectronic mixer; photodetector; signal-to-noise ratio;
Journal_Title :
Electronics Letters
DOI :
10.1049/el:19930099
