Picosecond optoelectronics

The general principles and the state of the art of picosecond optoelectronics are reviewed. The physical phenomena underlying this field are discussed, including picosecond photoconductivity of semiconductors, electrooptic effect in crystals, and propagation of ultrashort electrical pulses in microwave transmission lines. A description is provided of the components used in picosecond optoelectronics. Characteristics of the materials employed, which influence the response time and sensitivity of specific devices, are considered. Much attention is given to the methods of generation of ultrashort optical pulses by injection lasers. The results are reported of experiments on picosecond photoconductors used as electromagnetic energy sources (Hertz dipoles) and of studies of the electrooptic Vavilov–Cherenkov effect. Descriptions are given of some applications of picosecond optoelectronic devices in physics research, metrology, and ultrafast data processing systems.