Power photodiodes for high dynamic range photonic links

High-power photodiode applications for multioctave high dynamic range links are presented. A review of modulator and photodiode distortion analysis is given as well as an introduction to polarization-dependent loss distortion as it pertains to such systems. A new analysis of the photodiode distortion contributed degradation of spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) is developed. Experimental data covers high-power photodiodes for zero-bias high dynamic range links, showing significant improvement in SFDR. A link is presented showing the degradation of link performance when polarization-dependent loss is added into the system. A summary of state-of-the-art device performance is covered as well as the outlook on future applications for power photodiodes in analog photonic links requiring high SFDR.