Low Power Sensor Selection Guide

Newport offers a complete line of optical meters and Photodiode Optical Power Sensors. Our sensor line is very adaptable and can be used to measure power and energy with both free-space and fiber optic inputs. The following tables, in combination with the Detector Performance Charts, should help identify the optical meter/detector combination appropriate for your particular optical measurement needs. It is always a good idea to select a detector that meets your requirements before selecting an optical meter.

Photodiode Optical Power Sensor Families

Our Calibrated Photodiode Power Sensors are available in many form factors, including integrating sphere photodiode sensors, and are NIST-traceable calibrated for use with Newport's complete line of optical power meters. To complete your detection system, Newport also provides a comprehensive set of photodiode sensor accessories including attenuators, fiber-optic adapters, optic adapters and mounting bases. All of Newport's photodiode sensors include the following features:

Highest quality photodiodes
Low NEP (noise equivalent power) with wide dynamic ranges
EMI/RFI shield to minimize noise from environment

Also available from Newport are Oriel sensors for spectroscopy.

Listed below is a summary of Newport's photodiode power sensor product families.

Free Space Photodiode Power Sensors

Description	Features
918D Photodiode Sensors with Attenuator Switch	NIST traceable calibration with lowest uncertainty available Switchable internal attenuator with On/Off position sensor Internal temperature sensor for thermal drift compensation OD1, OD2 and OD3 (10x, 100x and 1000x) attenuators available	918D Photodiode Sensors with Attenuator Switch
818 Photodiode Sensors with Threaded OD3 Attenuator	NIST traceable calibration with lowest uncertainty available Removable OD3 attenuation filter Detachable DB15 calibration module Optional screw in fiber-optic adapters for fiber power measurement	818 Photodiode Sensors with Threaded OD3 Attenuator
918D Wand Style Photodiode Power Sensors	NIST traceable calibration with lowest uncertainty available Switchable internal attenuator with On/Off position sensor Internal temperature sensor for thermal drift compensation Protective and rugged hand held aluminum housing	918D Wand Style Photodiode Power Sensors
818 Wand Style Photodiode Power Sensors	NIST traceable calibration with lowest uncertainty available Switchable OD3 attenuation filter Detachable DB15 calibration module Protective and rugged hand held aluminum housing	818 Wand Style Photodiode Power Sensors

Fiber-Optic Photodiode Power Sensors

Description	Features
818 Fiber-Optic Photodiode Power Sensors	NIST traceable calibration with low calibration uncertainty Removable FC/PC fiber-optic adapter Detachable DB15 calibration module Optional FC/APC or SMA fiber adapters	818 Fiber-Optic Photodiode Power Sensors
918D-IS Fiber-Optic Integrating Sphere Sensors	Integrating sphere design enabling accurate and polarization independent measurements 400–1650 nm wavelength range with optical power up to 200 mW or more Bare fiber, FC, ST, LC, and SC adapters included Tighter calibration uncertainty than competition	918D-IS Fiber-Optic Integrating Sphere Sensors
Fiber Optic Sensors for ILX Optical Meters	Adapters available for FC, SC, LC, bare FC ferrule and bare fiber Power Measurement range from -85 to +30 dBm Wavelength Measurement range 800-1650 nm	Fiber Optic Sensors for ILX Optical Meters

Integrating Sphere Photodiode Power Sensors

	Description	Features
	819C Collimated Beam Integrating Sphere Sensors	Integrating sphere designed for collimated input beam NIST traceable calibration with lowest uncertainty available Faster response for high power measurement than thermopiles		819C Collimated Beam Integrating Sphere Sensors
	819D Diverging Beam Integrating Sphere Sensors	Integrating sphere designed for diverging input beams NIST traceable calibration with lowest uncertainty available Faster response for high power measurement than thermopiles		819D Diverging Beam Integrating Sphere Sensors

Oriel Sensors for Spectroscopy

	Description	Features
	Flange Mount Photodiode Sensors	Calibrated models are NIST traceable Unamplified and amplified models Flanged mounted for enclosed optical path Thermoelectric (TE) cooled options		Flange Mount Photodiode Sensors
	Detectors for Oriel MIR8035 FT-IR Scanners	Modular and interchangeable detectors Cover VIS to IR spectral regions Compatible with MIR8035 FT-IR Scanners		Detectors for Oriel MIR8035 FT-IR Scanners

Laser Operation Modes and Power Levels

Optical sensors can perform differently depending on the input beam. This table summarizes the recommended sensor families according to laser operation modes and power levels. Note that the sensors measure power, but energy can be derived by the calculation: energy = power / rep rate.

Detector Family	Mode	Repetition Rate	Power Level
818 Photodiode Sensors with Threaded OD3 Attenuator 918D Photodiode Sensors with Attenuator Switch	CW	N/A	11fW–2W
	Pulsed	100 Hz⁽¹⁾	1pW–2W (<1 µJ/cm²)
818 Fiber-Optic Photodiode Power Sensors 918D-IS Fiber-Optic Integrating Sphere Sensors ILX Precision Fiber Optic Measurement Heads	CW	N/A	100pW–0.2W
	Pulsed	100 Hz⁽¹⁾	100pW–0.2W (>1 µJ)
819C Collimated Beam Integrating Sphere Sensors 819D Diverging Beam Integrating Sphere Sensors	CW	N/A	100 pW–4.5 W⁽²⁾
	Pulsed	100 Hz⁽¹⁾	100 pW–4.5 W⁽²⁾
919P Thermopile Laser Power Sensors, 10 - 500 W	CW	N/A	1mW–400W
919P Thermopile Laser Power Sensors, 10 - 500 W	Pulsed	10 Hz	1mW–400W (<0.6 J/cm²)

(1) Power meter dependent. Minimum 1% duty cycle is recommended.
(2) Upper power limit depends on several factors, e.g., sphere size, port aperture size and wavelength.

Detector Performance Charts

Note: The gradient shaded regions of the detector power and energy operating ranges reflect the dependence of the measurement noise floor on the amplifying electronics used with the detector. Newport's optical meters are designed to minimize the noise floor.

Product Comparison

Photodiode Power Sensor Selection Guide