A numerical model for the transient response of extrinsic photoconductors is applied to the behavior of Ge:Ga and GaAs:Te detectors. Photoconductors display a two-component response to changes in illuruination. The characteristic time and magnitude for the slow component have been studied as a function of background flux, applied field, temperature, device length, and signal size. For large-signal applications, the background flux affects the transient response even when the signal is orders of magnitude greater than the background. Experimental results are presented to support key predictions of the modeling. Because the ratio of fast to slow components is independent of both background and signal size, we propose the operation of detectors in such a way that final signal levels are derived from the fast component.
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