BER PERFORMANCE OF OPTICALLY CONTROLLED MESFETS AS PHOTODETECTORS

This paper presents the performance of optically controlled MESFETs as photodetectors. The optical performance characteristics such as optic -to-electric responsivity, and BER for a pi/4-QPSK signal are experime ntally investigated. Measurements are performed by using MMIC compatib le MESFETs. Experimental results are also evaluated in comparison with calculated PIN-PD limit. Optic-to-electric responsivity has high gain at lower received optical powers. it is shown experimentally that MES FET photodetectors improve the permissible optical power by 6 dB compa red to the PIN-PD limit. Optically controlled MESFETs will provide a n ovel receivers for fiberoptic systems.