6 LIGHT DETECTORS
Light detectors perform the opposite function of light emitters. Emitters, as we already know, are electro-optic devices. They convert electrical pulses into light pulses. Detectors are opto-electric devices. They convert the optical signals back into electrical impulses that are used by the receiving end of the fiber optic data, video, or audio link. The most common detector is the semiconductor photodiode, which produces current in response to incident light.
In an LED, the energy emitted during the recombination of electron-hole pairs is in the form of light. In a photodiode, the opposite phenomenon occurs. Light striking the photodiode creates a current in the external circuit. Absorbed photons excite the electrons and ...
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