Optoelectronic conversion of short pulses in sub-micrometer GaAs active devices

The accelerating integration of microwave and optical components in modern optoelectronic systems stimulates comprehensive investigations of device operation and efficiency. This paper studies the optoelectronic conversion capabilities of sub-micron GaAs active devices in response to ultra-short illumination pulses. The physical phenomena involved in the photo-electronic effects are appropriately accounted for using a physical device model based on the solution of the Boltzmann’s transport equations. The study targets important optical performance indicators including terminal photocurrent peak value and switching time. A figure-of-merit is defined to quantify the overall response. Results show that operating and geometrical conditions can play important roles in the device design, operation and optimization process.