Low-frequency noise measurements of IR photodetectors with voltage cross correlation system

Abstract The paper presents a system for noise measurements in infrared photodetectors characterized by low shunt resistances based on a two-channel ultra-low-noise voltage amplifier with paralleled discrete JFETs at the input stages. Using cross correlation method, a background noise well below of 10−19 V2/Hz can be obtained at frequencies above 10 Hz. To facilitate the estimation of the noise in such a wide frequency range (5 decades), we also developed a software based on the QLSA library. As a result of these efforts, the equivalent input voltage noise of the system is below 10−19 V2/Hz at 10 Hz and 10−20 V2/Hz for frequencies above a few hundred Hz. The system effectiveness is demonstrated by noise measurements at room temperature on advanced InAsxSb1-x photodetectors characterized by an active area of 1 mm2 and a shunt resistance below 10 Ω.