High sensitivity InGaAs/AlGaAsSb avalanche photodiode with fast overload recovery and high damage threshold

In this paper, we report the temperature stability and robust performance of our avalanche photodiode (APD), as well as the wide dynamic range and high gain linear mode detection ability of our receiver module prototype. The APDs have a low dark current and low-temperature coefficient of operating voltages from 19.2 to 22.7 mV/°C with a gain from 10 to 200. The high sensitivity APD- transimpedance amplifier (TIA) receiver module (TIA gain 22 kV/A) demonstrates measured NEP value of 29 fW/Hz^0.5 when APD operates @M=130 under room temperature and predicted NEP value of 18 fW/Hz^0.5 @M=200 under 0°C for the 180 MHz of measurement bandwidth. This corresponds to a detection level of 16 and 10 photons respectively. The NEP value under 85°C is predicted as 77 fW/Hz^0.5 when APD operates @M=60. This receiver module has a fast overload recovery of 1.39 μs under 51 kW/cm² optical power illumination with 1045 kV/W of overall responsivity for APD-TIA. Our APDs also show robust performance of optically induced damage threshold of 40 MW/cm² optical power illumination under circuitry protection and power dissipation limit of ~190 mW without circuitry protection.