Comparative study between different quantum infrared photodetectors

This paper presents a theoretical analysis for the dark current characteristics of different quantum infrared photodetectors. These quantum photodetectors are quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIP), quantum wire infrared photodetectors (QRIP), and quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIP). Mathematical models describing these devices are introduced. The developed models accounts for the self-consistent potential distribution. These models are taking the effect of donor charges on the spatial distribution of the electric potential in the active region. The developed model is used to investigate the behavior of dark current with different values of performance parameters such as applied voltage, number of quantum wire (QR) layers, QD layers, lateral characteristic size, doping quantum wire density and temperature. It explains strong sensitivity of dark current to the density of QDs/QRs and the doping level of the active region. In order to confirm our models and their validity on the practical applications, a comparison between the results obtained by proposed models and that experimentally published are conducted and full agreement is observed. Several performance parameters are tuned to enhance the performance of these quantum photodetectors through the presented modeling. The resultant performance characteristics and comparison among them are presented in this work. From the obtained results we notice that the total dark current in the QRIPs can be significantly lower than that in the QWIPs. Moreover, main features of the QRIPs such as the large gap between the induced photocurrent and dark current open the way for overcoming the problems of quantum dot infrared photodetectors.     

Intersubband transitions in an asymmetric double quantum well

The intersubband optical absorption in an asymmetric double quantum well for different barrier widths and the right well widths are theoretically calculated within the framework of effective mass approximation. The results obtained show that the intersubband transitions and the energy levels in an asymmetric double quantum well can be importantly modified and controlled by the barrier width and the well width. The sensitivity to the barrier and well widths of the absorption coefficient can be used in various optical semiconductor device applications.     

Characteristics analysis of quantum wire infrared photodetectors under both dark and illumination conditions

This paper presents a theoretical analysis for the characteristics of quantum wire infrared photodetectors (QRIPs). Mathematical model describing this device is introduced. Maple 4 software is used to device this model. The developed model is used to investigate the behavior of the device with different values of performance parameters such as number of quantum wire layers, lateral characteristic size, and temperature. The modeling results are validated against experimental published work and full agreements are obtained. Several performance parameters are tuned to enhance the performance of these quantum photodetectors through the presented modeling. The resultant performance characteristics and comparison among both quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) and QRIPs are presented in this work. From the obtained results we notice that the total dark current in the QRIPs can be significantly lower than that in the QWIPs. Moreover, main features of the QRIPs such as the large gap between the induced photocurrent and dark current open the way for overcoming the problems of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs).     

Inter-sub-band transitions and binding energies of donor impurities in a modulation-doped quantum well in the presence of electric field

In this study, we have investigated theoretically the effects of the electric field and doping concentration on the optical transitions in a modulation-doped GaAs-AlGaAs quantum well for different well widths. The binding energies of the donor have also been computed using a trial wave function with two parameters in the framework of an effective-mass approximation. The electronic structure of a modulation-doped quantum well under the electric field is determined by solving the Schrödinger and Poisson equations self-consistently in the effective-mass approximation. The results obtained show that inter-sub-band transitions and the energy levels in the modulation-doped quantum well can be significantly modified and controlled by the well width and donor concentration. The sensitivity to the well widths of the absorption coefficient can be used in various optical semiconductor devices’ applications.     

Comparison studies of infrared photodetectors with a quantum-dot and a quantum-wire base

This paper mainly presents a theoretical analysis for the characteristics of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) and quantum wire infrared photodetectors (QRIPs). The paper introduces a unique mathematical model of solving Poisson’s equations with the usage of Lambert W functions for infrared detectors’ structures based on quantum effects. Even though QRIPs and QDIPs have been the subject of extensive researches and development during the past decade, it is still essential to implement theoretical models allowing to estimate the ultimate performance of those detectors such as photocurrent and its figure-of-merit detectivity vs. various parameter conditions such as applied voltage, number of quantum wire layers, quantum dot layers, lateral characteristic size, doping density, operation temperature, and structural parameters of the quantum dots (QDs), and quantum wires (QRs). A comparison is made between the computed results of the implemented models and fine agreements are observed. It is concluded from the obtained results that the total detectivity of QDIPs can be significantly lower than that in the QRIPs and main features of the QRIPs such as large gap between the induced photocurrent and dark current of QRIP which allows for overcoming the problems in the QDIPs. This confirms what is evaluated before in the literature. It is evident that by increasing the QD/QR absorption volume in QDIPs/QRIPs as well as by separating the dark current and photocurrents, the specific detectivity can be improved and consequently the devices can operate at higher temperatures. It is an interesting result and it may be benefit to the development of QDIP and QRIP for infrared sensing applications.     

The dark side of a patchwork universe

While observational cosmology has recently progressed fast, it revealed a serious dilemma called dark energy: an unknown source of exotic energy with negative pressure driving a current accelerating phase of the universe. All attempts so far to find a convincing theoretical explanation have failed, so that one of the last hopes is the yet to be developed quantum theory of gravity. In this article, loop quantum gravity is considered as a candidate, with an emphasis on properties which might play a role for the dark energy problem. Its basic feature is the discrete structure of space, often associated with quantum theories of gravity on general grounds. This gives rise to well-defined matter Hamiltonian operators and thus sheds light on conceptual questions related to the cosmological constant problem. It also implies typical quantum geometry effects which, from a more phenomenological point of view, may result in dark energy. In particular the latter scenario allows several non-trivial tests which can be made more precise by detailed observations in combination with a quantitative study of numerical quantum gravity. If the speculative possibility of a loop quantum gravitational origin of dark energy turns out to be realized, a program as outlined here will help to hammer out our ideas for a quantum theory of gravity, and at the same time allow predictions for the distant future of our universe.     

Electronic transport in a long wavelength infrared quantum cascade detector under dark condition

We present a joint experimental and theoretical investigation on a long wavelength infrared quantum cascade detector to reveal its dark current paths. The temperature dependence of the dark current is measured. It is shown that there are two different transport mechanisms, namely resonant tunneling at low temperatures and thermal excitation at higher temperature, dominate the carrier flow, respectively. Moreover, the experimental intersubband transition energies obtained by the magneto-transport measurements matches the theoretical predictions well. With the aid of the calculated band structures, we can explain the observed oscillation phenomena of the dark current under the magnetic field very well. The obtained results provide insight into the transport properties of quantum cascade detectors thus providing a useful tool for device optimization.     

Dark currents of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetectors

We study the dark current of the GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP) by assuming a drift-diffusion carrier transport in the barriers where the electric fields are obtained by the current continuity condition and the self-consistent energy band structure. It has been shown that due to the current continuity condition, the dark currents across the QWIP devices are determined by the thermionic emission from the emitter to the multiple quantum well (MQW) region. The self-consistent calculation of the Schrödinger and Poisson equations shows a weak electric field in the barrier region connecting to the emitter (much smaller than the average field across the QWIP at low bias) due to the accumulation of carriers in the triangle quantum well formed at the emitter-MQW interface, which results in a very small dark current at low bias. The numerical results explain well our experimental observation.     

Long wavelength infrared (LWIR) photodetection in a modulation doped thyristor

A modulation doped thyristor concept is described for LWIR photodetection based upon intersubband bound to continuum absorption. The intersubband absorption generates photocurrent from undoped quantum wells to modulation doped layers (MDL). Due to the lower dark current compared to conventional quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), the thyristor infrared detector operates with little or no cooling and with similar or better performance than QWIPs at low temperatures. The operating characteristics of absorption coefficient, quantum efficiency, responsivity, detectivity, infrared gain, and dark current are determined as a function of thyristor voltage and input power level in the range of 1 μW/cm².     

Wavelength and polarization selective multi-band tunnelling quantum dot detectors

The reduction of the dark current without reducing the photocurrent is a considerable challenge in developing far-infrared (FIR)/terahertz detectors. Since quantum dot (QD) based detectors inherently show low dark current, a QD-based structure is an appropriate choice for terahertz detectors. The work reported here discusses multi-band tunnelling quantum dot infrared photo detector (T-QDIP) structures designed for high temperature operation covering the range from mid-to far-infrared. These structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy consist of a QD (InGaAs or InAlAs) placed in a well (GaAs/AlGaAs) with a double-barrier system (AlGaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs) adjacent to it. The photocurrent, which can be selectively collected by resonant tunnelling, is generated by a transition of carriers from the ground state in the QD to a state in the well coupled with a state in the double-barrier system. The double-barrier system blocks the majority of carriers contributing to the dark current. Several important properties of T-QDIP detectors such as the multi-colour (multi-band) nature of the photoresponse, the selectivity of the operating wavelength by the applied bias, and the polarization sensitivity of the response peaks, are also discussed.     

The role of sequential tunnelling in the dark current of quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs)

A quantum mechanical approach is taken to investigate the contribution of sequential tunnelling as a component of the dark current in quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs). Calculations are performed on three different experimentally reported QWIP devices made for different detection wavelengths. The results show that the sequential tunnelling component remains rather constant with different devices, however it is swamped by the thermionic emission components of the dark current at longer wavelengths. The lack of a local maximum in the dark current due to resonant LO phonon emission, which should be observed at short wavelengths, suggests that interface roughness and alloy disorder could be destroying the coherence of the electron wavefunctions between quantum wells.     

结构参数对GaN肖特基紫外探测器性能的影响及器件设计

研究了GaN肖特基结构(n^--GaN /n⁺-GaN)紫外探测器的结构参数对器件性能的影响机理。模拟计算结果表明:提高肖特基势垒高度和减小表面复合速率,不仅可以增加器件的量子效率,而且可以极大地减小器件的暗电流;适当地增加n^--GaN层厚度和载流子浓度可以提高器件的量子效率,但减小n^--GaN层的载流子浓度却有利于减小器件的暗电流。我们针对实际应用的需要,提出了一个优化器件结构参数的设计方案,特别是如果实际应用中对器件的量子效率和暗电流都有较高的要求,肖特基势垒高度应该≥0.8 eV,n^--GaN层的厚度≥200 nm,载流子浓度1×10¹⁷ cm^-3 左右,表面复合速率＜1×10⁷ cm/s。     

Dark Energy from Entanglement Entropy

We show that quantum decoherence, in the context of observational cosmology, can be connected to the cosmic dark energy. The decoherence signature could be characterized by the existence of quantum entanglement between cosmological eras. As a consequence, the Von Neumann entropy related to the entanglement process, can be compared to the thermodynamical entropy in a homogeneous and isotropic universe. The corresponding cosmological models are compatible with the current observational bounds being able to reproduce viable equations of state without introducing a priori any cosmological constant. In doing so, we investigate two cases, corresponding to two suitable cosmic volumes, V∝a ³ and V∝H ^?3, and find two models which fairly well approximate the current cosmic speed up. The existence of dark energy can be therefore reinterpreted as a quantum signature of entanglement, showing that the cosmological constant represents a limiting case of a more complicated model derived from the quantum decoherence.     

Numerical study of the advantages of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with a single step quantum well as the electron blocking layer

The advantages of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with a single step quantum well used as electron blocking layer (EBL) are studied numerically. The energy band diagrams, hole concentrations, electrostatic field near the EBL, current–voltage curve and internal quantum efficiency (IQE) are investigated by using the Crosslight simulation programs. The simulation results show that the structure with a single step quantum well has better performance over the conventional one, which can be attributed to the mitigated band bending near the EBL due to the change of electrostatic field by using a step well. Therefore, the efficiency of hole injection is improved, with which both the IQE and the total lighting power are increased.     

Dark-bright optical solitons conversion via an optical add/drop filter for signals and networks security applications

We propose a new system of the dark-bright solitons conversion using a micro- and nano-ring resonators incorporating an optical add/drop filter, where the add/drop filter can be used to convert the dark soliton to bright soliton. The key advantage of the system is that the detection of the dark soliton pulse is normally difficult due to low level of input power. Firstly, a dark soliton pulse is input into a micro-ring resonator, then propagating into smaller micro- and nano-ring resonators. Secondly, the add/drop filter is applied (connected) into the ring system, where the bright and the dark solitons are obtained via the drop and through (or throughput) the ports of the add/drop filter, respectively. The results obtained have shown that the detected soliton power can be controlled by the input soliton power and the ring resonator coupling coefficient, which is enough to use in the transmission link. The optical and the quantum networks using dark soliton are also discussed.     

KAF-4301E CCD在低温下微光成像特性的实验研究

介绍了实验的原理和方法;重点介绍了在低温下KAF_4301E CCD的成像特性———量子效率(QE)、电荷转移效率(CTE)、读出噪声、暗电流和满阱等的测试结果。实验结果显示,随CCD工作温度降低并超过其最小标称值后,虽然暗流则明显减小,但CTE性能快速变差。从理论上对所得的结果进行了简短的分析和讨论。分析了该型号CCD在微光成像方面的应用前景。     

Effects of Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields on Shallow Donor Impurity Binding Energy in a Parabolic Quantum Well

We have calculated variationally the ground state binding energy of a hydrogenic donor impurity in a parabolic quantum well in the presence of crossed electric and magnetic fields. These homogeneous crossed fields are such that the magnetic field is parallel to the heterostructure layers and the electric field is applied perpendicular to the magnetic field. The dependence of the donor impurity binding energy to the well width and the strength of the electric and magnetic fields are discussed. We hope that the obtained results will provide important improvements in device applications, especially for a suitable choice of both fields in the narrow well widths.     

Electronic properties of a quantum ring perturbed with a quantum well in the presence of perpendicular magnetic flux

Here, we study the effects of the number of sites, quantum ring radius and potential well depth on the energy levels, persistent current, magnetic susceptibility and density of states (DOS) of a quantum ring with a quantum well within its circumstance in a magnetic flux perpendicular to its plane. We show that, for small radius quantum ring systems, there are periodic local gaps along the magnetic flux axis in the DOS plots and along the axis ‘energy’. For large radius quantum ring systems, a uniform gap along the energy axis exists and along the phi axis nothing changes. In quantum rings with a quantum well in their circumstance, by using the large confining potential, we can create uniform gaps in the Energy–phi plane. The energy eigenvalues, persistent current and magnetic susceptibility decrease by increasing the confining potential. A quantum ring even with a very small confining potential in its circumstance can sensibly decrease the persistent current and magnetic susceptibility, although it may do not change the energy eigenvalues and DOS maximum considerably. Thus, by using the abovementioned parameters, we are able to tune the DOS, persistent current, magnetic susceptibility and energy levels, desirably.     

近800 nm波长张应变GaAsP/AlGaAs量子阱激光器有源区的设计

张应变GaAs_1-xP_x量子阱是高性能大功率半导体激光器的核心有源区,基于能带结构分析优化其结构参数具有重要的应用指导意义.首先,基于6×6 Luttinger-Kohn模型,采用有限差分法计算了张应变GaAs_1-xP_x量子阱的能带结构,得到了第一子带间跃迁波长固定为近800 nm时的阱宽-阱组分关系,即随着阱组分x的增加,需同时增大阱宽,且阱宽较大时靠近价带顶的是轻空穴第一子带lh₁,阱宽较小时靠近价带顶的是重空穴第一子带hh₁.计算并分析了导带第一子带c₁到价带子带lh₁和hh₁的跃迁动量矩阵元.针对808 nm量子阱激光器,模拟计算了阈值增益与阱宽的关系,得到大阱宽有利于横磁模激射,小阱宽有利于横电模激射.进一步考虑了自发辐射和俄歇复合之后,模拟计算了808 nm量子阱激光器的阱宽与阈值电流密度的关系,阱宽较大时载流子对高能级子带的填充使得阈值电流密度增加,而阱宽较小时则是低的有源区光限制因子导致阈值电流密度升高,因此存在一最佳的阱宽-阱组分组合,可使阈值电流密度达到最小.本文的模拟结果可对张应变GaAs_1-xP_x量子阱激光器的理论分析和结构设计提供理论指导.