Improved measurement accuracy of spot position on an InGaAs quadrant detector

In this paper, a new formula is proposed to improve the accuracy of spot position measurements on an InGaAs quadrant detector (QD). It is obtained by analyzing the relationship between the light spot position and the output signals of the QD and combining the infinite integral method with the Boltzmann method due to their opposite error characteristics. Based on the proposed formula, the measurement accuracy can be improved greatly, which is confirmed by the simulation and experimental results. In addition, it requires fewer parameters compared with the polynomial method when reaching the same accuracy. Thus, the new formula can be practical in applications of spot position measurements.