PIN photodiode array for free-space optical communication

For space optical communication, spatial light is coupled to an optical fiber, after which it is converted into electrical signals with a PIN photodiode to achieve the purpose of communication. Thus, we propose to use a PIN array to receive the spatial light directly. In the new design, each PIN photodiode independently receives the space laser and converts it into electrical signals. Therefore, the coupling of light-into-fiber is not necessary. Later, the current and voltage characteristics of both series and parallel PIN array are analyzed and numerical simulations are carried out. After that, with the help of the technicians of Chengdu SEI Optical Fiber Corporation, a 3 x 3 PIN diode array was produced successfully in the laboratory and a test experiment in a microvibration environment was done, the results of which show the coupling efficiency of the new receiver is higher.