Optical links for cryogenic focal plane array readout

Alan R. Johnston; Duncan Tsuen-Hsi Liu; Siamak Forouhar; George F. Lutes; Joseph L. Maserjian; Eric R. Fossum

doi:10.1117/12.158689

20 October 1993 Optical links for cryogenic focal plane array readout

Alan R. Johnston, Duncan Tsuen-Hsi Liu, Siamak Forouhar, George F. Lutes, Joseph L. Maserjian, Eric R. Fossum

Proceedings Volume 1946, Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.158689
Event: Optical Engineering and Photonics in Aerospace Sensing, 1993, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

An optical link can provide an interface channel for the focal-plane array that is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and can lower the heat load on the dewar. Our approach involves the use of fiber-optics and an on-focal-plane optical modulator to provide an interface to the focal-plane array (FPA). The FPA drives the modulator with an electrical signal. We evaluated specially fabricated AlGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) optical modulators, operating near 840 nm, for analog modulation, and we have used the results to calculate the performance of an optical interface link using experimentally determined device parameters. Link noise and dynamic range for an analog link were estimated from a separate experiment using pigtailed fiber components. The performance of the MQW modulator system is compared to alternative strategies. Significant improvement in performance in comparison to conventional electronic interfaces appears to be possible.

Citation Download Citation

Alan R. Johnston, Duncan Tsuen-Hsi Liu, Siamak Forouhar, George F. Lutes, Joseph L. Maserjian, and Eric R. Fossum "Optical links for cryogenic focal plane array readout", Proc. SPIE 1946, Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation, (20 October 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.158689

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