The Model 2520 pulsed laser diode test system from Keithley Instruments Inc. (Cleveland, OH) can perform pulsed L-I-V testing up to 5 A and continuous L-I-V testing to 1 A. The system's pulsed testing capability makes it suitable for testing a broad range of laser diodes, including emerging pump laser designs for Raman amplifiers. It also is possible to perform DC and pulsed L-I-V sweeps on the same device, which can simplify analysis of the impact of thermal transients on the L-I-V characteristics of the laser diode. This flexibility is critical for spectral measurements at the chip or bar level because the laser diode must be operated in DC mode above its threshold value in order to measure spectral width with optical spectrum analyzers or wavelength with wavelength meters.

According to Keithley management, the Model 2520's tight synchronization of source and measure capabilities ensures high measurement accuracy, even when testing with pulse widths as short as 50 ns. For more details, visit www.keithley.com.

Thu Oct 04 08:17:00 CDT 2001