Manufacturer of avalanche photodiode (APD) infrared (IR) sensors, Phlux Technology, will be showcasing its Aura family of Noiseless InGaAs APDs at SPIE Photonics West, San Francisco, January 20-22, 2026, on booth 5528.
The booth will feature two demonstrations: one for 1550 nm LiDAR, an essential long-distance IR sensing technology for assisted driving (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle applications, and the second for Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (OTDR), where the sensors boost range and improve fault-detection accuracy.
The Aura family of sensors, available in 30 µm, 80 µm and 200 µm versions, are 12 times more sensitive than traditional InGaAs APDs and extend the range and accuracy of IR systems by up to 50 per cent for a given laser power. Alternatively, for a given range, significantly lower laser power is needed, which reduces system costs by up to 40 per cent and size and weight by up to 30 per cent, not least due to simplified thermal management.
The sensors are designed for professional laser range finders, fibre optic test equipment (OTDRs), long-distance LiDAR, and free-space optical communications. In all these applications, the adoption of 1550 nm ensures eye-safe operation, eliminating one of the biggest disadvantages of 905 nm IR systems.
Aura APDs will operate at up to +85 °C with minimal performance degradation, which is significantly higher than traditional sensors. They feature high dynamic range and fast recovery from powerful reflected signals to minimize dead zones in OTDR applications, which can otherwise mean faults close to the instruments may go undetected. The high sensitivity of the APDs also enables higher resolution so that even minor faults can be detected in fibre optic networks, and tiny objects with low reflectivity identified in range finding and LiDAR applications. These benefits are equally applicable to emerging hollow-core fiber (HCF) technologies, which promise up to 47 per cent greater data speeds and significantly lower latency than current networks.
Aura Noiseless InGaAs APDs are designed to meet MIL-STD-883, are qualified to Telcordia GR-468 and are drop-in replacements for existing surface mount or TO-packaged components, enabling instant upgrades to existing systems.
Noiseless InGaAs APD technology was developed by adding an antimony alloy to the compound semiconductor manufacturing process. The resulting devices operate with internal gain of up to 120, enabling the smallest signals to be detected above the noise floor.
Aura sensors are sampling now, and product briefs for each version can be downloaded here.
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