We investigate the possibility of probing the electrical status of a p-i-n junction via an optical fiber, without the need for electrical contacts. A photonic crystal with a resonance in the near-infrared is etched in a thin membrane of III-V semiconductor with an embedded p-i-n junction and placed on the cleaved facet of a fiber. We measure the effect of photoexcited carriers on the built-in voltage of the diode through the Pockels effect. This may enable the all-optical read-out of electrical signals from sensors in a distant or inaccessible environment.

SPIE-The International Society for Optics and Photonics
doi.org/10.1117/12.2607209
Photonic Forces

Picelli, L., van Veldhoven, R., Verhagen, E., & Fiore, A. (2022). All-optical probing of a semiconductor photodiode (conference presentation). In Proc. SPIE PC11995, Physics and Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices XXX. doi:10.1117/12.2607209