Good timing for microwave technology: Timing standards around the world define the second using atomic clocks, specifically the microwave frequencies emitted from trapped atoms. Optical clocks, which are based on optical transitions of atoms, operate at much higher frequency and have been shown to exhibit better stability. Nakamura et al. demonstrate a framework that carries the improved stability of the optical domain over to microwaves (see the Perspective by Curtis). In addition to contributing to the eventual redefinition of the second based on optical clocks, this work will also lead to improvements in microwave-based technologies such as astronomical imaging and geodesy through very long baseline interferometry, radar, communications, and navigation systems. Science , this issue p. 889 ; see also p. 825

Microwave photonics and optics-based analog links are technologies that are being developed for a growing number of applications. Photodetectors that operate at high power levels are key components. Additionally, it is important for many of these applications that the photodiodes have millimeter-wave bandwidths and highly linear response. This paper reviews the performance of modified uni-traveling carrier photodiodes with respect to these characteristics.

The fast development of mid-wave infrared photonics has increased the demand for high-performance photodetectors that operate in this spectral range. However, the signal-to-noise ratio, regarded as a primary figure of merit for mid-wave infrared detection, is strongly limited by the high dark current in narrow-bandgap materials. Therefore, conventional mid-wave infrared photodetectors such as HgCdTe require cryogenic temperatures to avoid excessively high dark current. To address this challenge, we report an avalanche photodiode design using photon-trapping structures to enhance the quantum efficiency and minimize the absorber thickness to suppress the dark current. The device exhibits high quantum efficiency and dark current density that is nearly three orders of magnitude lower than that of the state-of-the-art HgCdTe avalanche photodiodes and nearly two orders lower than that of previously reported AlInAsSb avalanche photodiodes that operate at 2 µm. Additionally, the bandwidth of these avalanche photodiodes reaches ~7 GHz, and the gain–bandwidth product is over 200 GHz; both are more than four times those of previously reported 2 µm avalanche photodiodes.

High sensitivity avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating at eye-safe infrared wavelengths (1400–1650 nm) are essential components in many communications and sensing systems. We report the demonstration of a room temperature, ultrahigh gain ( M = 278 , λ = 1550 n m , V = 69.5 V , T = 296 K ) linear mode APD on an InP substrate using a G a A s 0.5 S b 0.5 / A l 0.85 G a 0.15 A s 0.56 S b 0.44 separate absorption, charge, and multiplication (SACM) heterostructure. This represents ∼ 10 × gain improvement ( M = 278 ) over commercial, state-of-the-art InGaAs/InP-based APDs ( M ∼ 30 ) operating at 1550 nm. The excess noise factor is extremely low ( F < 3 ) at M = 70 , which is even lower than Si APDs. This design gives a quantum efficiency of 5935.3% at maximum gain. This SACM APD also shows an extremely low temperature breakdown sensitivity ( C b d ) of ∼ 11.83 m V / K , which is ∼ 10 × lower than equivalent InGaAs/InP commercial APDs. These major improvements in APD performance are likely to lead to their wide adoption in many photon-starved applications.

We demonstrate high speed and high power evanescently-coupled waveguide integrated modified uni-traveling-carrier (MUTC) photodiodes. Over 105 GHz bandwidth along with 2 dBm and 1.3 dBm RF output power at 100 GHz and 105 GHz, respectively, has been achieved.