Heterodyne System for Measuring Frequency Response of Photodetectors in Ultrasonic Applications

The heterodyne interferometer using acousto-optic modulation is presented to measure the frequency response of photodetectors (PDs) utilized in ultrasonic applications by optical methods. The heterodyne signal is served as the excitation source. The measurement frequency more than 150 MHz can be achieved by two serial or parallel connected acousto-optic frequency shifters (AOFSs) in the interferometer. The frequency shift of AOFSs can be adjusted continuously, so that the frequency resolution of the measurement better than 500 kHz is easy to realize. The experimental results for two PDs with bandwidth 150 and 50 MHz are discussed. The presented scheme can also be used to characterize the PDs in the frequency range of megahertz for other optical measurement applications.

[1]  S. Robinson,et al.  Extending the frequency range of the National Physical Laboratory primary standard laser interferometer for hydrophone calibrations to 80 MHz , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[2]  P. Theobald,et al.  Primary ultrasonic interferometer photodiode characterization using frequency-modulated laser wavefront radiation , 2013 .

[3]  S. Kawanishi,et al.  Wideband frequency-response measurement of optical receivers using optical heterodyne detection , 1989 .

[4]  V. Wilkens,et al.  Amplitude and phase calibration of hydrophones up to 70 MHz using broadband pulse excitation and an optical reference hydrophone , 2004 .

[5]  S P Robinson,et al.  The measurement of the frequency response of a photodiode and amplifier using an opto-mechanical frequency response calibrator , 1990 .

[6]  V. Wilkens,et al.  Broadband PVDF Membrane Hydrophone for Comparisons of Hydrophone Calibration Methods up to 140 MHz , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[7]  T. Kikuchi,et al.  A method for measuring the frequency response of photodetector modules using twice-modulated light , 2005, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[8]  M. Bieler,et al.  The problem of calibrating Laser-Doppler Vibrometers at high frequencies , 2012 .

[9]  Andrew Silletti,et al.  Bandwidth measurements of ultrahigh-frequency optical detectors using the interferometric FM sideband technique , 1987 .

[10]  Jean-Michel Lourtioz,et al.  Frequency characterisation of photodetectors by Fabry-Perot interferometry of modulated semiconductor lasers , 1989 .

[11]  S. Kawanishi,et al.  Wideband frequency response measurement of photodetectors using optical heterodyne detection technique , 1986 .

[12]  Volker Wilkens,et al.  Characterization of an optical multilayer hydrophone with constant frequency response in the range from 1 to 75 MHz. , 2003, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[13]  C. Koch,et al.  Primary calibration of hydrophones with extended frequency range 1 to 70 MHz using optical interferometry , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[14]  Christian Koch.  Measuring the photodetector frequency response for ultrasonic applications by a heterodyne system with difference- frequency servo control , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[15]  D. A. Humphreys.  Integrated-optic system for high-speed photodetector bandwidth measurements , 1989 .

[16]  A S Daryoush,et al.  Development of calibration techniques for ultrasonic hydrophone probes in the frequency range from 1 to 100 MHz. , 2009, Ultrasonics.

[17]  J. E. Parsons,et al.  Cost-effective assembly of a basic fiber-optic hydrophone for measurement of high-amplitude therapeutic ultrasound fields. , 2006, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[18]  J. Schlafer,et al.  Wide-bandwidth receiver photodetector frequency response measurements using amplified spontaneous emission from a semiconductor optical amplifier , 1990 .

[19]  S. Newton,et al.  High-frequency photodiode characterization using a filtered intensity noise technique , 1994, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.