光通讯基础Chapter培训教案.ppt

A Solar cell (photovoltaic cell, solar panel or photo cell ) —the principle of operation A p-n photodiode—the principle of operation Conclusion:When a photon strikes a depletion region, its energy separates an electron from its hole. (Remember, electrons and holes have recombined at the p-n junction, thus creating a depletion region.) The separated electron and hole are attracted by the positive and negative potentials of the depletion voltage, respectively.Thus, a flow of charge carriers—current—is generated. Applying external voltage (reverse bias) enhances the flow of electrons and holes. Observe closely how the external battery is connected in to create reverse bias.Let’s summarize what we have discussed thus far: External photons—that is, light—strikes the semiconductor and separates the electrons and holes. The flow of these free charge carriers produces current. External voltage (reverse bias) enhances this effect. The circuits of Photodiode Responsivity of a photodiode Photovoltaic and photoconductive modes of operation Observe that a photodiode can produce current without bias voltage because light conveys the external energy necessary to excite electrons at the conduction band (or to separate electrons from ho1es, if you prefer) and the depletion voltage makes them flow. This mode of operation is called photovoltaic. It is how solar panels convert sunlight into electrical power. If external voltage is applied, the photodiode operates in the photoconductive mode. These two terms—photovoltaic and photoconductive—define the meaning of both operations: Without biasing, a photodiode works as the source of an electrical signal; with biasing, it’s a good conductor of current originated by incident light. But remember: A photodiode is actually a current source, with or without bias. Bandwidth Bandwidth, in terms of our current discussion, can be defined as the maximum frequency, or bit rate, that a photodiode can detect without making essential errors.