PULSE RESPONSE OF ELECTRO-OPTIC MODULATORS AND PHOTOCONDUCTIVE DETECTORS AT 10.6 μ

Abstract

Subnanosecond rise time pulses of 10.6‐μ radiation obtained with a GaAs electro‐optic modulator have been used to measure the time response of Cu:Sb, Cu, Hg, and Au doped germanium photoconductive detectors. Ge:Cu:Sb and Ge:Cu detectors yielded the fastest response, ∼1‐nsec rise time (10% to 90%) with a 50‐Ω load, which was circuit limited. Actual material time response of the Ge:Cu:Sb and Ge:Cu detectors and also of the GaAs modulator were determined to be less than 0.5 nsec. No saturation was observed for the Ge:Cu:Sb detector for peak input powers up to 20 W.