A low-noise large dynamic-range readout suitable for laser spectroscopy with photodiodes

An original low-noise large dynamic-range readout system for optical light spectroscopy with PIN diodes is presented. The front-end circuit is equipped with a smart device for automatic cancellation of the large dc offset brought about by the photodiode current. This device sinks away the exact amount of dc current from the preamplifier input, yielding auto zeroing of the output-voltage offset, while introducing the minimum electronic noise possible. As a result the measurement dynamicrange is maximized. Moreover, an auxiliary inspection point is provided which precisely tracks the dc component of the photodiode current. This output allows for precise beam alignment and may also be used for diagnostic purposes. The excellent gain stability and linearity make the circuit perfectly suited for optical-light pulse spectroscopy. Applications include particle sizing in the 100 nm range, two-dimensional characterization of semiconductor detectors, ultra-precise characterization of laser beam stability, confocal microscopy.