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Spectrodetector: Novel Monolithic Wavelength Meter and Photodetector

R.F. Nabiev, C.J. Chang-Hasnain, L.E. Eng, E.L. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., and K.Y. Lau, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif.

Recently, we have introduced and demonstrated a novel approach using the ratio of two back-to-back detectors with a wavelength dependent reflector (Distributed Bragg Reflector, DBR) in between.5 The DBR is designed to have a weak wavelength-dependent reflectance which provides the necessary spectral dependent ratio for the two detectors. This ratio has a one-to-one correspondence with the signal wavelength, and thus can be used as a wavelength meter. Each photodetector can still be used as a receiver for data in addition to the wavelength reading.