High-Power and High-Linearity Photodetector Modules for Microwave Photonic Applications

Published

October 15, 2014

Author(s)

Frederick N. Baynes, Efthymios Rouvalis, Xiaojun Xie, Qiugui Zhou, Franklyn J. Quinlan, Tara M. Fortier, Scott A. Diddams, Andreas G. Steffan, Andreas Beling, Joe C. Campbell

Abstract

We demonstrate hermetically packaged InGaAs/InP photodetector modules for high performance microwave photonic applications. The devices employ an advanced photodiode epitaxial layer known as the modified uni-traveling carrier photodiode (MUTC-PD) with superior performance in terms of output power and saturation. To further improve the thermal limitations, the MUTC-PDs were flip-chip bonded on high thermal conductivity substrates such as Aluminum Nitride (AlN) and Diamond. Modules using chips with active area diameters of 40 μm, 28 υm and 20 υm were developed. The modules demonstrated a 3-dB bandwidth ranging from 17 GHz up to 30 GHz. In continuous wave mode of operation, very high RF output power was achieved with 25 dBm at 10 GHz, 22 dBm at 20 GHz and 17 dBm at 30 GHz. In addition, the linearity of the modules was characterized by using the third order intercept point (OIP3) as a figure of merit. Very high values of OIP3 were obtained with 30 dBm at 10 GHz, 25 dBm at 20 GHz and more than 20 dBm at 30 GHz. Under short pulse illumination conditions and by selectively filtering the 10 GHz frequency component only, a saturated power of >21 dBm was also measured. A very low AM-to-PM conversion coefficient was measured, making the modules highly suitable for integration in photonic systems for ultralow phase noise RF signal generation.

Citation

Journal of Lightwave Technology

Volume

32

Issue

20

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

Analog photonic links, high-power photodetectors, modified uni-traveling carrier photodiode (MUTC-PD)

Citation

Baynes, F. , Rouvalis, E. , Xie, X. , Zhou, Q. , Quinlan, F. , Fortier, T. , Diddams, S. , Steffan, A. , Beling, A. and Campbell, J. (2014), High-Power and High-Linearity Photodetector Modules for Microwave Photonic Applications, Journal of Lightwave Technology (Accessed April 19, 2024)