DET10A-M In Stock

The ThorLabs DET10A/M is an exceptional silicon detector designed to detect light signals across a wide range of 200 nm to 1100 nm. The DET10A/M is housed in a rugged aluminum enclosure and features a photodiode and an internal 12 V bias battery. This powerful combination makes it possible for the photodiode to operate as a fast, highly linear device with high quantum efficiency, suitable for various applications.

The DET10A/M is designed with a detachable 1" optical coupler (SM1T1), making it very straightforward to attach fiber adapters, spectral filters, ND filters, as well as other compatible 1" stackable lens mount accessories. The detector runs using a junction photodiode, which acts similarly to a regular signal diode. When light hits the depleted area of the junction semiconductor, it generates a photocurrent. The photodiode can be used in either photovoltaic (zero-bias) mode or photoconductive (reverse bias), depending on the application's speed requirements and the amount of tolerable dark current.

When a bias voltage is applied to the photodiode, the DET10A/M produces dark current. When using the photoconductive mode of operation, one can expect a higher dark current that increases in proportion to the changes in temperature. Generally, dark current can be seen to double with an increase of 10°C and shunt resistance can double for a 6°C temperature rise. Applying a higher bias decreases the junction capacitance but increases the amount of dark current present. The amount of dark current generated is dependent both on the material used to make the photodiode and the size of its active area. Fortunately, because the DET10A/M is a silicon device, it produces a lower dark current.

The DET10A/M comes with an internal battery that delivers approximately 40 hours with a 1 mA load, equivalent to a continuous 1.5 mW light source at peak wavelength. When the unit is turned on and not being used, the supply current is incredibly low and will not cause any damage to the battery. If needed, the battery can be replaced with a DET1B power adapter. This option is suitable for applications where a small increase in the signal noise due to noise in the line voltage is permissible, or the finite lifetime of a battery is not acceptable. Additionally, the DET10A/M features a battery check function that allows users to monitor the bias voltage on the output BNC.