Ahead of Print article · Journal article
Characterization of the NEP of Mid-Infrared Upconversion Detectors
We present a scheme to estimate the noise equivalent power (NEP) of the frequency upconversion detectors (UCDs), detecting mid-infrared (MIR) light. The NEP of UCD is a combined contribution of NEPs from the upconversion process and from the photodetector, used for detecting the upconverted signal. The 2 -5 μ m MIR range is particularly investigated in this letter using a bulk periodically poled lithium niobate based CW -intracavity UCD.
We measured the NEP of UCD as 20 fW/ Hz at MIR wavelength of 339 μ m. We showed that the limiting factor here is not the no ise from the upconversion process (estimated NEP is 23 fW/ Hz at 339 μ m), but from the electrical noise in the photodetector itself. We also compared the performance of our UCD with previously published results and with market available direct MIR detectors.
Additionally, we measured the optical noise of the UCD over its working spectral range (29 -36 μ m) and compared with numerical simulation.
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | IEEE |
| Year: | 2019 |
| Pages: | 681-84 |
| ISSN: | 19410174 and 10411135 |
| Types: | Ahead of Print article and Journal article |
| DOI: | 10.1109/LPT.2019.2904325 |
| ORCIDs: | Barh, Ajanta and Tidemand-Lichtenberg, Peter |
Crystals Detectors Laser beams LiNbO<sub>3</sub> MIR wavelength NEP Noise measurement Optical noise Photodetectors Thermal noise bulk periodically poled lithium niobate-based CW-intracavity UCD direct MIR detectors electrical noise frequency upconversion detectors infrared detectors lithium compounds mid-infrared light mid-infrared upconversion detectors noise noise equivalent power nonlinear optical devices optical frequency conversion optical noise photodetector photodetectors sensor systems and applications upconversion process upconverted signal wavelength 2 mum to 5 mum wavelength 2.9 mum to 3.6 mum
