Cavity-enhanced resonant tunneling photodetector at telecommunication wavelengths

Abstract

An AlGaAs/GaAs double barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) with a nearby lattice-matched GaInNAs absorption layer was integrated into an optical cavity consisting of five and seven GaAs/AlAs layers to demonstrate cavity enhanced photodetection at the telecommunication wavelength 1.3 μm. The samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and RTD-mesas with ring-shaped contacts were fabricated. Electrical and optical properties were investigated at room temperature. The detector shows maximum photocurrent for the optical resonance at a wavelength of 1.29 μm. At resonance a high sensitivity of 3.1×104 A/W and a response up to several pA per photon at room temperature were found.

Photocurrent-voltage relation of resonant tunneling diode photodetectors

“…Resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) are nonlinear devices with a large spectrum for applications, ranging from high frequency oscillators up to the THz range, logic elements, nanothermometry, and high sensitive light detectors at the telecommunication wavelength. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The broad spectrum of applications is due to the RTD's distinguished characteristics, e.g., the region of negative differential conductance, and an inherent high speed of electron dynamics combined with a relative structural simplicity. 8 RTDs operated as photodetectors show a remarkable photoresponse with the possibility to detect single photons.…”

Sensitivity of resonant tunneling diode photodetectors

“…6 Of particular interest are RTDs with embedded quantum dots operated as single photon detectors and photon counters, [7][8][9][10] or high-gain RTD photodetectors for room temperature telecommunication wavelength light sensing. 11 Hereby, the RTD serves as an internal amplifier of weak electric signals, caused by photogenerated charge carriers. 12 The high internal amplification, low-voltage operation, and supplementary functionality, inherently provided by the region of negative differential conductance (NDC), qualify RTD photodetectors as a good alternative to avalanche photodiodes (APDs).…”

Temperature tuning from direct to inverted bistable electroluminescence in resonant tunneling diodes

“…The growth process is finalized by a 154 nm thick GaInNAs layer with 1 · 10 17 cm −3 and by an extended GaAs collector region with a thickness of 556 nm and doping concentration 1 · 10 18 cm −3 . The GaInNAs layer is grown latticed matched to GaAs with a bandgap energy of E g = 0.95 eV which enables the RTD to be operated as sensitive photo-detector for telecommunication wavelengths 22,23 . Additionally, it ensures a linear tuning of the resonance voltage with temperature over a broad temperature range 4 mesa with diameter d = 5 µm, recorded at T = 300 K, is plotted in Fig.…”