Photoconductive detector of fast-transition optical waveforms

Abstract

The letter reports the development of a fast-response bulk photoconductor that can be used as a photodetector and as an optically gated switch. The photoconducting material used is semi-insulating, chromium-doped GaAs, a sample of which is mounted in a 50Ω stripline holder. An estimated detector transition time of 92 ps or less was obtained from tests made with a mode-locked dye laser.