MODELING AND OPTIMIZING THE RESPONSE OF PYROELECTRIC LASER ENERGYMETERS

A model is developed, capable of describing and optimizing the voltage response of pyroelectric energymeters, based on the superposition of an ON and OFF step function response. Accordingly, two thermal time constants related to the heating and cooling processes are used. The main result of the theory, confirmed by experiments with two different energymeters. is that the electrical time constant should equal the heating time constant in order to achieve the best compromise between responsivity and fast response. A simple method to determine the values of the thermal time constants and the detector figure of merit is also given. © 1991, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.