The invention provides a synchronous detector for a unit cell of a read out integrated circuit (ROIC). The synchronous detector includes a bipolar photo-detector formed in a focal plane array (FPA) for sensing light energy. The bipolar photo-detector has one end coupled to a sense node of the unit cell, and another end coupled to a reference generator for biasing the bipolar photo-detector. The bipolar photo-detector is biased by the reference generator, resulting in the light energy sensed by the bipolar photo-detector to be provided to the sense node as a synchronously detected signal. A capacitor is coupled to the sense node for low pass filtering the synchronously detected signal. The reference generator provides alternating positive and negative voltage levels, where the positive voltage level forward biases the bipolar photo-detector and the negative voltage level reverse biases the bipolar photo-detector. The bipolar photo-detector provides alternating positive and negative current levels to the sense node, in response to the modulated laser light signal, and provides synchronous detection of the light energy sensed by each photo-detector.