Open AccessResonant-cavity infrared detector with five-quantum-well absorber and 34% external quantum efficiency at 4 μm
Author(s) -
C. L. Canedy,
W. W. Bewley,
Charles D. Merritt,
Chul Soo Kim,
Mijin Kim,
Michael V. Warren,
Eric M. Jackson,
Jill A. Nolde,
Chaffra A. Affouda,
E. H. Aifer,
I. Vurgaftman,
J. R. Meyer
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.27.003771
Subject(s) - laser linewidth , quantum efficiency , full width at half maximum , optics , dark current , optoelectronics , detector , materials science , absorption (acoustics) , current density , physics , wavelength , infrared , noise (video) , laser , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics)
We report resonant-cavity infrared detectors with 34% external quantum efficiency at room temperature at the resonant wavelength of 4.0 μm, even though the absorber consists of only five quantum wells with a total thickness of 50 nm. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) linewidth is 46 nm, and the peak absorption is enhanced by nearly a factor of 30 over that for a single pass through the absorber. In spite of an unfavorable Shockley-Read lifetime in the current material, the dark current density is at the level of state-of-the-art HgCdTe detectors as quantified by "Rule 07." The Johnson-noise limited detectivity (D*) at 21°C is 7 × 10 9 cm Hz ½ /W. We expect that future improvements in the device design and material quality will lead to higher quantum efficiency, as well as a significant reduction of the dark current density consistent with the very thin absorber.