Abstract
The speed of response of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) can be an important factor in determining the performance of high-bit-rate optical receivers. The most common limitations to detector speed are carrier diffusion, charge pileup at heterointerfaces, which has been observed in heterostructure APDs for use at long wavelengths,1 RC time constants, and the gain-bandwidth limit. Whereas the first three sources of speed degradation can be made negligibly small by proper device design, the gain- bandwidth product presents a fundamental limitation to device speed. In this paper we discuss the gain-bandwidth limit of InGaAs/InP heterostructure APDs which are rapidly emerging as the most promising devices for use in high-bit-rate long- wavelength (λ < 1.65-μm) optical communication systems. We also develop a means whereby the bandwidth limit of an APD optical receiver can be calculated once the sensitivity of that receiver is determined using only a pin photodetector. Comparison of these calculations to published experimental results will be made.
© 1984 Optical Society of America
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