High speed, antenna-enhanced 10.3 μ m quantum cascade detector

Abstract

The strong potential of intersubband detectors in the field of mid-infrared photodetection places this technology as a relevant alternative to HgCdTe detectors in the race for ultrafast operation. While their extremely short photocarrier's lifetime opens up possibilities of detection beyond 100 GHz, it is also the main reason for their comparatively high dark current. Here, a photovoltaic quantum cascade detector at 10.3 μm, embedded in a metal–metal patch antenna is presented in both direct and heterodyne detection schemes. In DC, a responsivity of 122 mA/W at 77 K and 85 mA/W at 295 K is reached. More strikingly, the device shows temperature independent heterodyne response with a capacitance-limited cutoff frequency of 25 GHz both at 77 K and room temperature. It is modeled quantitatively by means of an equivalent RC-circuit picture stemming from microscopic transport considerations.

2023 Astrophotonics Roadmap: pathways to realizing multi-functional integrated astrophotonic instruments

“…A 20 GHz-3 dB QCD for 4.6 µm radiation has entered the market as of 2021. Following the integration of a QWIP into a metamaterial acting as a micro-antenna and a cavity [600], the research on photonic-enhanced QWIPs and QCDs is increasingly promising [601]. An optimized photonic architecture could combine speed with a Quantum Efficiency of at least 40%, allowing the electromagnetic field confinement in the material to be maximized without increasing the doping density and thus the dark current [602].…”

High Frequency Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Laser Integrated With Grounded Coplanar Waveguide Transmission Line

“…In recent years, various types of high-speed MWIR photodetectors, such as quantum cascade detectors (QCD) and type-II superlattices (T2SLs), have seen rapid development, with RF bandwidths reaching up to 100 GHz [15], [16], [17], [18]. In contrast, the development of high-speed QCLs has been relatively slower.…”

High-capacity free-space optical link in the midinfrared thermal atmospheric windows using unipolar quantum devices

“…Direct modulation of these semiconductor lasers is thus lagging behind, with a 3-dB bandwidth in the range of 10 GHz for a configuration with an RF-launcher 13 – 16 while state-of-the-art detectors are much faster: MIR quantum-well-infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) able to detect frequencies above 100 GHz have been demonstrated for over 15 years 17 . The development efforts of such technology remain vivid: 70 GHz bandwidth QWIPs have been designed recently 18 as well as room-temperature quantum cascade detectors (QCDs) with a 3 dB bandwidth of 25 GHz 19 . Short-range proof-of-concept experiments with directly-modulated QCLs have shown little improvement in terms of data rate between the early days of intersubband technology 20 and the latest results achieving 6 Gbit s−1, 21 though most of the recent efforts 22 – 26 rely on fully integrated mercury-cadmium-telluride detectors with high responsivities but lower bandwidths 27 .…”

“…17 The development efforts of such technology remain vivid: 70 GHz bandwidth QWIPs have been designed recently 18 as well as room-temperature quantum cascade detectors (QCDs) with a 3 dB bandwidth of 25 GHz. 19 Short-range proof-of-concept experiments with directly-modulated QCLs have shown little improvement in terms of data rate between the early days of intersubband technology 20 and the latest results achieving 6 Gbit s −1 , 21 though most of the recent efforts [22][23][24][25][26] rely on fully integrated mercurycadmium-telluride detectors with high responsivities but lower bandwidths. 27 Interestingly, a very recent result showed an 11-Gbit s −1 9.6-μm transmission with a directly-modulated QCL associated with a QCD enhanced by computer-assisted processing.…”