HP / Agilent 81634A Low Polarization Dependence Optical Power Sensor

The HP/Agilent 81634A is an InGaAs optical power sensor module engineered for precise measurements across the 800 nm to 1700 nm wavelength range. This low polarization dependence sensor delivers ±2.5% measurement accuracy from 1000 nm to 1630 nm and extends dynamic range from +10 dBm to −110 dBm, making it ideal for characterizing spectral ripple and polarization dependent loss (PDL) in optical components. The thermally stabilized, hermetically sealed detector minimizes environmental drift and provides exceptional linearity: ±0.015 dB ±2 pW across +10 dBm to −70 dBm, and ±0.015 dB ±0.2 pW to −90 dBm. Polarization-induced uncertainty remains below ±0.005 dB, while spectral ripple effects stay below ±0.015 dB. Return loss exceeds 55 dB. The sensor module integrates with Agilent 816x Lightwave mainframes and supports data logging up to 100,000 samples with averaging times as low as 100 µs. Hardware trigger lines, event triggers, and analog output enable synchronized spectral measurements with tunable laser modules. NIST and PTB traceability ensures measurement confidence in demanding optical test environments.