An Infrared Metamaterial Broadband Absorber Based on a Simple Titanium Disk with High Absorption and a Tunable Spectral Absorption Band

A metamaterial absorber is proposed that functions in the medium- (3–5 µm) and long-wavelength (8–12 µm) infrared (medium-wavelength infrared, MWIR, and long-wavelength infrared, LWIR, respectively) regions. The proposed design, which consists of periodic cells, can be tuned to achieve single-band or dual-band light absorption by changing the periodicity of the structure. Each cell forming the metamaterial absorber consists of a bottom metal plate (Al), a top metal disk (Ti), and an intermediate dielectric medium (Si or ZnS) in which a metal disk (Ti) is embedded. For a period of 0.85 µm, the absorber achieves broadband absorption in the LWIR region, with an average absorption of 92.1%. Further, the absorber shows acceptable tolerance to irradiation at oblique incidence. For a period of 2 µm, a peak absorption of 99.05% is achieved in the MWIR region, thereby providing dual-band absorption. Tuning the periodicity of the structure enhances the localized surface plasmon resonance, with the absorption mechanism explained by establishing an equivalent parallel LC circuit. The absorption properties demonstrated by the proposed metamaterial absorber are promising for thermal imaging and infrared spectroscopy.     

Surface plasmon-enhanced dual-band infrared absorber for VO_x-based microbolometer application

We propose a periodic structure as an extra absorption layer(i.e., absorber) based on surface plasmon resonance effects, enhancing dual-band absorption in both middle wavelength infrared(MWIR) and long wavelength infrared(LWIR)regions. Periodic gold disks are selectively patterned onto the top layer of suspended SiN/VO_2/SiN sandwich-structure.We employ the finite element method to model this structure in COMSOL Multiphysics including a proposed method of modulating the absorption peak. Simulation results show that the absorber has two absorption peaks at wavelengths λ =4.8 μm and λ = 9 μm with the absorption magnitudes more than 0.98 and 0.94 in MWIR and LWIR regions, respectively. In addition, the absorber achieves broad spectrum absorption in LWIR region, in the meanwhile, tunable dual-band absorption peaks can be achieved by variable heights of cavity as well as diameters and periodicity of disk. Thus, this designed absorber can be a good candidate for enhancing the performance of dual band uncooled infrared detector, furthermore, the manufacturing process of cavity can be easily simplified so that the reliability of such devices can be improved.     

QWIP focal plane arrays on InP substrates for single and dual band thermal imagers

Alternative material systems on InP substrate provide certain advantages for mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR), long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) and dual band MWIR/LWIR quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane arrays (FPAs). While InP/InGaAs and InP/InGaAsP LWIR QWIPs provide much higher responsivity when compared to the AlGaAs/GaAs QWIPs, AlInAs/InGaAs system facilitates completely lattice matched single band MWIR and dual band MWIR/LWIR FPAs.We present an extensive review of the studies on InP based single and dual band QWIPs. While reviewing the characteristics of InP/InGaAs and InP/InGaAsP LWIR QWIPs at large format FPA level, we experimentally demonstrate that the cut-off wavelength of AlInAs/InGaAs QWIPs can be tuned in a sufficiently large range in the MWIR atmospheric window by only changing the quantum well (QW) width at the lattice matched composition. The cut-off wavelength can be shifted up to ～5.0 μm with a QW width of 22 Å in which case very broad spectral response (Δλ/λ_p = ～30%) and a reasonably high peak detectivity are achievable leading to a noise equivalent temperature difference as low as 14 mK (f/2) with 25 μm pitch in a 640 × 512 FPA. We also present the characteristics of InP based two-stack QWIPs with wavelengths properly tuned in the MWIR and LWIR bands for dual color detection. The results clearly demonstrate that InP based material systems display high potential for dual band MWIR/LWIR QWIP FPAs needed by third generation thermal imagers.     

The transition mechanisms of quantum-dot/quantum-well mixed-mode infrared photodetectors

The transition mechanisms of a 10-period quantum-dot (QD)/quantum-well (QW) mixed-mode infrared photodetector is investigated in this paper. Both mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) responses are observed for the device. The lower normal incident absorption of the LWIR peak suggests that the QW intra-band transition is responsible for the response while the QD intra-band transition for the MWIR response. Due to the coexistence of MWIR and LWIR responses, the MWIR response should be resulted from one-photon transition while the LWIR response from the two-photon transition. To explain the transition mechanisms of the MMIP device, a model is proposed in this paper. The increases of both MWIR and LWIR responses with increasing measurement temperatures observed for the device are attributed to the increase of electrons in the QW ground state/wetting layer state resulted from the increase of one-photon absorption process with increasing temperatures.     

NIR, MWIR and LWIR quantum well infrared photodetector using interband and intersubband transitions

This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a QWIP photodetector capable of detecting simultaneously infrared radiation within near infrared (NIR), mid wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long wavelength infrared (LWIR). The NIR detection was achieved using interband transition while MWIR and LWIR were based on intersubband transition in the conduction band. The quantum well structure was designed using a computational tool developed to solve self-consistently the Schrödinger–Poisson equation with the help of the shooting method. Intersubband absorption in the sample was measured for the MWIR and LWIR using Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and the measured peak positions were found at 5.3 μm and 8.7 μm which agree well with the theoretical values obtained 5.0 μm and 9.0 μm for the two infrared bands which indicates the accuracy of the self-consistent model. The photodetectors were fabricated using a standard photolithography process with exposed middle contacts to allow separate bias and readout of signals from the three wavelength bands. The measured photoresponse gave three peaks at 0.84 μm, 5.0 μm and 8.5 μm wavelengths with approximately 0.5 A/W, 0.03 A/W and 0.13 A/W peak responsivities for NIR, MWIR and LWIR bands, respectively. This work demonstrates the possibility of detection of widely separated wavelength bands using interband and intersubband transitions in quantum wells.     

混合谐振模式宽带长波红外超表面吸收器研究

为了满足红外探测器件集成化和对红外宽光谱范围吸收的需求,设计了一种工作在长波红外波段(8~14μm)的超宽带、高吸收、极化不敏感的超材料吸收器。通过在金属-介质-金属三层异质的超材料吸收器结构的顶部金属周围镶嵌一层介质形成超表面,以增加谐振强度和吸收带宽。在8~13.6μm的带宽范围内,该结构有超过90%的平均吸收率,覆盖了大部分长波红外大气窗口波段,对红外探测领域有着重要意义。研究结果表明:镶嵌的金属-介质组成的介质波导模式和谐振腔模式的结合以及传播型表面等离激元模式的激发是形成宽带高吸收的主要原因,并且谐振模式的谐振波长可以通过相关参数来进行调控。本文的研究结果为可调谐宽带长波红外吸收材料的设计提供参考,该设计方法可推广到中波红外波段、甚至长波红外或其它波段。     

High-performance IR detectors at SCD present and future

For over 27 years, SCD has been manufacturing and developing a wide range of high performance infrared detectors, designed to operate in either the mid-wave (MWIR) or the long-wave (LWIR) atmospheric windows. These detectors have been integrated successfully into many different types of system including missile seekers, time delay integration scanning systems, hand-held cameras, missile warning systems and many others. SCD’s technology for the MWIR wavelength range is based on its well established 2D arrays of InSb photodiodes. The arrays are flip-chip bonded to SCD’s analogue or digital signal processors, all of which have been designed in-house. The 2D focal plane array (FPA) detectors have a format of 320×256 elements for a 30-μm pitch and 480×384 or 640×512 elements for a 20-μm pitch. Typical operating temperatures are around 77–85 K. Five years ago SCD began to develop a new generation of MWIR detectors based on the epitaxial growth of antimonide based compound semiconductors (ABCS). This ABCS technology allows band-gap engineering of the detection material which enables higher operating temperatures and multi-spectral detection. This year SCD presented its first prototype FPA from this program, an InAlSb based detector operating at a temperature of 100 K. By the end of this year SCD will introduce the first prototype MWIR detector with a 640×512 element format and a pitch of 15 μm. For the LWIR wavelength range SCD manufactures both linear Hg_1−xCd_xTe (MCT) detectors with a line of 250 elements and time delay and integration (TDI) detectors with formats of 288×4 and 480×6. Recently, SCD has demonstrated its first prototype uncooled detector which is based on VO_x technology and which has a format of 384×288 elements, a pitch of 25 μm, and a typical NETD of 50 mK at F/1. In this paper, we describe the present technologies and products of SCD and the future evolution of our detectors for the MWIR and LWIR detection. The paper presented there appears in Infrared Photoelectronics, edited by Antoni Rogalski, Eustace L. Dereniak, Fiodor F. Sizov, Proc. SPIE Vol. 5957, 59570S (2005).     

Effect of sintering temperature of Ce<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-doped Lu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Al<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> phosphors on light emission and properties of crystal structure for white-light-emitting diodes

The effect of the sintering temperature of Ce³⁺-doped Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ (Ce-LuAG) phosphors on the emission and properties of the crystal structure was studied. A cathodoluminescence peak at 317 nm, which was assigned to lattice defects, was exhibited in addition to emission peaks at 508 and 540 nm for the Ce-LuAG phosphors. The intensities of the 317 nm emission peak for the phosphors with mean particle diameters of 5.0 and 10.0 µm formed at a low sintering temperature of 1430 °C were higher than those for the phosphors with mean particle diameters of 18.0 and 20.5 µm formed at a high sintering temperature of 1550 °C. In contrast, the electroluminescence spectra for fabricated white-light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using the phosphors revealed that the intensity of the peak at 540 nm was strong for the mean particle diameters of 18.0 and 20.5 µm. The intensity of the 540 nm peak, which is attributed to the 4f→5d transition of the Ce³⁺ activator, showed a dependence on the sintering temperature. The relationship between the optical properties and the lattice defects is discussed.     

Infrared Absorber Leveling in Ultra-Wideband by Using Hybrid Plasmonic Structure

In this paper, an effective ultra-broadband absorber in long-wavelength infrared is achieved by a metal-insulator-metasurface (MIM) stacked structure. This absorber exhibits an average absorption of 90% at wavelengths ranging from 8 to 14 µm and a maximum absorption rate of up to 97.1%. It is found that the performance is achieved by three mode combinations. The ultra-broadband leveling absorber is to be polarization-independent due to its geometrical symmetry. The absorption property can be controlled by the parameters of the triangle unit. It has great potential in many applications such as infrared detection and imaging.     

Ultra-broadband metamaterial absorber for infrared transparency window of the atmosphere

The broadband absorber at the wavelength range from 8 to 13 μm has attracted much attention because this range is exactly the infrared transparency window of the atmosphere. In this Letter, we propose a new structure of ultra-broadband absorber, which is composed of a periodic array of single-sized titanium (Ti) patches and a sandwich (Ti/SiO₂/Ti) plane. In the infrared transparency window of the atmosphere, the structure proposed can achieve nearly perfect absorption with the maximal absorptivity up to 99% for the wavelength range from 9.77 to 10.69 μm, and a high average absorptivity of 96.7% from 8 to 13 μm. The strongly localized electric field, at the interface of the top thin Ti film and the dielectric spacer of sandwich plane, leads to the ultra-broadband high absorption. In addition, this structure demonstrates the insensitivity of polarization and oblique angle. This metamaterial absorber with high performances in both bandwidth and absorptivity shows a promising prospect in applications such as thermal emitters, thermal coolers, and infrared sensors.     

Complementary barrier infrared detector (CBIRD) with double tunnel junction contact and quantum dot barrier infrared detector (QD-BIRD)

The InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice based complementary barrier infrared detector (CBIRD) has already demonstrated very good performance in long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) detection. In this work, we describe results on a modified CBIRD device that incorporates a double tunnel junction contact designed for robust device and focal plane array processing. The new device also exhibited reduced turn-on voltage. We also report results on the quantum dot barrier infrared detector (QD-BIRD). By incorporating self-assembled InSb quantum dots into the InAsSb absorber of the standard nBn detector structure, the QD-BIRD extend the detector cutoff wavelength from ∼4.2 μm to 6 μm, allowing the coverage of the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) transmission window. The device has been observed to show infrared response at 225 K.     

Broadband visible metamaterial absorber based on a three-dimensional structure

In this paper, a broadband metamaterial absorber is successfully designed by a three-dimensional structure. And the three-dimensional absorber is just obtained by a two-dimensional structure which rotates 90°along x-axis. The simulated results show that the absorption of the three-dimensional metamaterial absorber is much better than the two-dimensional absorber. Moreover, the absorber is polarization-sensitive for the incident electromagnetic waves due to the asymmetry of the structure. Compared with the Y-polarization wave, the proposed absorber can realize broadband absorption with greater than 90% from 355.6 to 737.7 THz for X-polarized wave. Finally, based on the analysis of the electric field and surface current distributions, it can demonstrate that the localized surface plasmons and dipoles resonances will play an important role in the broadband absorption. And we believe that the metamaterial absorber will have many potential applications in emitter and energy harvesting.     

共口径双通道红外扫描成像光学系统

对双波段红外扫描成像光学系统进行了研究,结合三次成像技术和100%冷光栏效率技术,设计了一个共口径双通道红外扫描成像光学系统。该系统包括前端共用的双反射系统、分束镜、准直镜组、扫描镜和成像镜组。光波经过双反射系统在主镜之后被分束镜分成中波红外通道（3 m～5 m）和长波红外通道（10 m～12 m）,经准直镜组及成像镜组会聚探测器上,实现中波红外系统与长波红外系统共口径同步成像。设计结果表明,长波红外系统传递函数在18 lp/mm处达到0.4以上,中波红外系统传递函数在18 lp/mm处达到0.78以上,满足实际应用的要求。     

Passive Q-switching based on ReS<Subscript>2</Subscript> saturable absorber in Er-doped fiber laser at 1532 nm

A passively Q-switched microsecond Er-doped fiber laser at 1532 nm wavelength was demonstrated by using a ReS₂-based saturable absorber. The absorber was fabricated with ReS₂ by exfoliating mechanically and transferred onto a fiber end. Stable Q-switched laser pulses were observed with the shortest pulse duration of 2.1 μs, the maximum average output power of 2.48 mW, and the pulse with energy up to 38 nJ. Our experimental results suggest that ReS₂ is potential for a Q-switcher near 1.55 μm wavelength.     

Broadband metamaterial absorber on a single-layer ultrathin substrate

In this article, a broadband metamaterial microwave absorber on a low-cost FR-4 Epoxy substrate is proposed. The unit cell of the absorber consists of a staircase shape metallic patch placed on the top of the metal-backed ultrathin dielectric substrate having a thickness of 1.9 mm (0.07 λ₀). The absorption of more than 90% is achieved with this proposed low profile single-layer microwave absorber throughout the operation band from 8.86 to 15.5 GHz. The performance is analyzed for different values of incident angle, polarization angle, substrate height, and dielectric constant. The surface current and the power loss density at the top and bottom planes at the two absorption peaks of 9.46 and 13.90 GHz are also analyzed to elaborate the absorption mechanism of the structure. Experimental result closely follows the simulated one. The broadband characteristics of the design with relative absorption bandwidth (RAB) of 54.51% at both TE and TM polarizations of incident wave for a wide incident angles makes it versatile for applications in the X and Ku bands of microwave frequencies. The proposed work is very compact (unit cell size: 0.22 λ₀) with ultrathin substrate height (0.07 λ₀) and giving RAB performance of 54.51% comparable with that of others. Thus with this single-layer low-cost substrate material a broadband absorber is achieved.     

Towards dualband megapixel QWIP focal plane arrays

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024 × 1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 17 mK at a 95 K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300 K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NEΔT of 13 mK at a 70 K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90 K and 70 K operating temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. In addition, we have demonstrated MWIR and LWIR pixel co-registered simultaneously readable dualband QWIP focal plane arrays. In this paper, we will discuss the performance in terms of quantum efficiency, NEΔT, uniformity, operability, and modulation transfer functions of the 1024 × 1024 pixel arrays and the progress of dualband QWIP focal plane array development work.     

Comparative studies of microwave absorption in the singlet paramagnets HoVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> and HoBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> in strong pulsed magnetic fields

Microwave absorption in the tetragonal singlet paramagnets HoVO₄ (zircon structure) and HoBa₂Cu₃O _x (x ≈ 6, layered perovskite structure) is studied and compared in pulsed magnetic fields up to 40 T at low temperatures. These paramagnets are characterized by a singlet-doublet scheme of the low-lying levels of the Ho³⁺ ion in a crystal field. In a magnetic field directed along the tetragonal axis, HoVO₄ exhibits resonance absorption lines at wavelengths of 871, 406, and 305 μm, which correspond to electron transitions between the low-lying levels of the Ho³⁺ ion in the crystal field. The positions and intensities of these absorption lines in HoVO₄ are well described in terms of the crystal-field formalism with the well-known interaction parameters. The absorption spectra of HoBa₂Cu₃O _x at a wavelength of 871 μm exhibit broad resonance absorption lines against the background of strong nonresonance absorption. The effects of low-symmetry (orthorhombic, monoclinic) crystal-field components, the deviation of a magnetic field from a symmetry axis, and various pair interactions on the absorption spectra of the HoVO₄ and HoBa₂Cu₃O _x crystals are discussed. Original Russian Text ? Z.A. Kazeĭ, V.V. Snegirev, M. Goaran, L.P. Kozeeva, M.Yu. Kameneva, 2008, published in Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2008, Vol. 133, No. 3, pp. 632–645.     

制冷型中/长红外双波段双视场全景光学系统设计

为了同时探测中波红外和长波红外两个波段信息,实现两个不同视场快速切换,采用空间多镜头图像拼接全景成像法,设计了四通道制冷型中/长红外双波段双视场全景成像光学系统。该全景系统由周视方向3个互成120的红外物镜和顶视方向一个红外物镜构成,每一个成像通道光学系统采用二次成像结构。F数为2,工作波段为中波3.5 m～4.8 m、长波7.8 m～9.8 m,双视场两档焦距之比为5,通过轴向移动变倍组可以完成122/44.49双视场转换。利用折/衍混合器件及非球面设计技术,采用光学被动式消热差法对光学系统进行了温度补偿。设计结果表明,该双视场光学系统具有100%冷光阑效率和良好的冷反射抑制能力。在-40℃～+60℃范围内,在奈奎斯特频率18 lp/mm位置处,中波红外系统MTF值均大于0.5,长波红外系统MTF值均大于0.3。     

Vernier frequency sampling: a new tuning approach in spectroscopy—application to multi-wavelength integrated path DIAL

We present novel frequency tuning methods for broadband mid-infrared spectroscopy that take advantage of the unique frequency sampling properties of our recently developed “nested dual-cavity doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator” (NesCOPO). These methods, referred to as Vernier frequency sampling, enable mode-hop tuning with an adjustable virtual-cavity intermode spacing. Both frequency resolution and span are widely adjustable and can be tailored to fulfill the requirements either for broadband spectroscopy (>50 cm^?1 spectral coverage) at low resolution or for high resolution (<0.01 cm^?1) narrow band spectroscopy. The technique is applied to short-range (10 to 30 m) atmospheric CO₂ measurements at 4.2 µm using integrated path differential absorption LIDAR.     

1024 × 1024 Format pixel co-located simultaneously readable dual-band QWIP focal plane

This paper reports the first demonstration of the megapixel-simultaneously-readable and pixel-co-registered dual-band quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array (FPA). The dual-band QWIP device was developed by stacking two multi-quantum-well stacks tuned to absorb two different infrared wavelengths. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) band extends from 4.4 to 5.1 μm and the FWHM of a long-wave infrared (LWIR) band extends from 7.8 to 8.8 μm. Dual-band QWIP detector arrays were hybridized with custom fabricated direct injection read out integrated circuits (ROICs) using the indium bump hybridization technique. The initial dual-band megapixel QWIP FPAs were cooled to 70 K operating temperature. The preliminary data taken from the first megapixel QWIP FPA has shown system NEΔT of 27 and 40 mK for MWIR and LWIR bands, respectively.