The accelerating integration of microwave and optical components in modern optoelectronic systems stimulates comprehensive investigations of device operation and efficiency. This paper studies the optoelectronic conversion capabilities of sub-micron GaAs active devices in response to ultra-short illumination pulses. The physical phenomena involved in the photo-electronic effects are appropriately accounted for using a physical device model based on the solution of the Boltzmann's transport equations. The study targets important optical performance indicators including terminal photocurrent peak value and switching time. A figure-of-merit is defined to quantify the overall response. Results show that operating and geometrical conditions can play important roles in the device design, operation and optimization process.