This article presents the electrical circuit, a description of the design, and results of measurements of the radiative watt–ampere and time characteristics of compact inexpensive emitters based on commercial laser diodes with wavelengths from 405 to 850 nm, which operate in the picosecond (70–180 ps) and nanosecond (0.69–1.2 ns) modes. The optical emitter includes a master crystal oscillator based on a microcontroller (frequencies of 76 Hz–20/80 MHz), a synchronization circuit, a low-voltage (9–12 V) subnanosecond electric pulse shaper that operates according to the method of double differentiation, a pump circuit with an adjustable direct current source, and a laser diode. The average light power at a frequency of 80 MHz varies in pico mode from 0.6 to 1.6 mW and in nano mode from 6 to 18 mW. The lasers are powered by a 220 V/12 V, 0.25 A serial power supply, with a power consumption of 3 W and a weight of 0.2 kg.
The development of new physical principles and technology was the basis of creating fast-response one-quantum photomiltipliers with subnanosecond time response [ 1 ] . At the present time, the photoelectric multipliers of special designs have a resolution of 47 ps, namely: device R1564V-Ol with microchannel plates and device VPM-154M with static crossed fields [2] . It is sufficiently close to the limiting possibilities (several picoseconds) of the existing electronic equipment for multichannel time analysing [3].In realizing the subnanosecond resolution, the necessity rises (both in the unique and regular fast-response photomultipliers) to take into consideration special effects which do not appear in not so fast devices. First of all, spatial and spectral variations of the time response and the transit time for signal passage over the photoreceiving area (photocathode) should be mentioned among them. In pulse photometry, the said effects may lead to an increase of the equipment pulse response and in distance ranging to a decrease in accuracy of measurements.
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