Hamamatsu Photonics has introduced a range of silicon Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs), designed for applications requiring high sensitivity in the 800nm wavelength band. The company has also released an 870nm LED, the L11368
The APDs are supplied in compact, TO-18 packages. Their low bias operation means that voltages of less than 200V can be used while still maintaining stable operation. These detectors are ideal for applications including optical range finding.
The L11368 LED features a special microball lens that is bonded to the LED chip surface, with an additional mini-lens within the can package to make a narrow emission beam. This allows for efficient input of the beam into an optical fibre. The light source features a cut-off frequency of 50MHz and a high fibre end output of 65µW. It is packaged in a high reliability TO can. The L11368 is an affordable solution for optical fibre communications.