LED (Light-Emitting Diode)

A semiconductor light source in the form of a transistor with a posi-

tive and a negative layer of particular semiconducting materials and a p-n (positive-negative) junction between them.The negative layer is doped with impurities to create extra electrons, which are negatively charged.The positive layer is doped to create extra holes into which electrons can migrate when a charge is applied, which has the effect of adding extra positive particles.When current is applied and the electrons move across the junction, from the n semiconductor layer to the p semiconductor layer, and settle into the holes, they release energy in the form of photons, i.e., light. ( Note: A diode conducts current in only one direction, like a one-way gate.) The composition of the semiconductor material determines the color of light, how much of it is absorbed, and how much of it is released. LEDs manufactured with aluminum gallium arsenide (AIGaAs) are used in infrared (IR) applications such as fiber optics.Various other compounds, most including gallium (Ga), to create other colors in the visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectrum.Visible light-emitting diodes (VLEDs) operate in the visible light spectrum, and are found in clocks, watches, calculators, gauges, meters, and a wide variety of other devices.The infrared LEDs used in fiber optic transmission are, of course, much more sophisticated. LEDs pulse on and off relatively slowly, as specified by the cycle time, i.e., rise and fall times of signal intensity. Therefore, LEDs are relatively bandwidth-limited.

LEDs also generate signals of relatively broad spectral width in the 850 nm region (850 Band), which wavelength attenuates substantially over relatively short distances. Slower LEDs emit light from an area etched into the surface of a semiconductor chip, while the faster LEDs emit light from the edge of the chip. The physical design of LEDs is such that they couple efficiently only to the relatively broad inner core of multimode fiber (MMF), and they do not tightly focus a collimated beam of light as does a laser diode. LEDs are used in local area networks (LANs), where they support transmission rates of up to 1 Gbps over relatively short distances. LEDs also are used in certain other short-haul transmission systems, including some passive optical networks (PONs). LEDs are relatively inexpensive and durable. See also 850 Band, coupling efficiency, cycle time, diode, IR, LAN, laser diode, MMF, PON, spectral width, transistor, UV, VCSEL, visible light, VLED, wavelength, and window.

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• Table Q-1: Selected ITU-T Q-Series Recommendations
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