Optical Sensing is the use of light to detect, measure, and analyze physical, chemical, or biological properties of a target. Applications span an enormous range, including environmental monitoring, industrial process control, medical diagnostics, security screening, and scientific instrumentation. GPD’s photodetector portfolio supports optical sensing across UV, visible, NIR, and SWIR wavelength ranges, providing the sensitivity, speed, and reliability that demanding sensing systems require. Custom detector designs are also available for applications with unique wavelength, packaging, or performance specifications.
Read the blog post introducing our new What is a Photodiode? A Complete Guide covers operating modes, device types, key specifications, and material systems. Engineers new to detector selection will find a clear and practical starting point, along with links to relevant product pages and selection tools.
Choosing a photodetector isn’t just a spec-matching exercise. The wrong choice drives redesign cycles, calibration overhead, and supplier risk that never appear on a datasheet. Here’s how to evaluate detectors the way your product’s lifecycle actually demands.