Investigation of the optical communication channel throughput with an information receiver in the form of a silicon photomultiplier

Abstract

The implementation of such technology of data transmission as Li-Fi requires photodetectors that are optically sensitive in the visible range of wavelengths. The photomultiplier tubes are characterized by highest sensibility in this wavelength range, but also by large size, higher power supply voltage, and frangibility. An alternative to the mentioned type of photodetectors is a silicon photomultiplier tube (Si-PMT) characterized by good sensibility in the visible range of wavelengths. In this work, the throughput of an optical communication channel with an informa-tion receiver in the form of a Si-PMT is investigated. As a result, it was found that the highest throughput value corresponded to the supply voltage value equal to the breakdown voltage of the Si-PMT, and to the optical radiation wavelengths of 470 nm. It has been established that an in-crease in temperature causes a decrease in the transmission capacity of the photodetector, and an increase in the optical pulses’ radiant exposure leads to an increase in the transmission capacity. The results obtained can be used in the development of optical communication systems.