Designs and applications of corrugated QWIPs

Abstract

In this paper, we will describe the performance of two long wavelength 1024 × 1024 corrugated quantum well infrared photodetector focal plane arrays (C-QWIP FPAs) with cutoff wavelengths at 8.6 and 9.0 μm, respectively. The FPAs are background limited (BLIP) at around 76 K in an f/1.8 optical system. In addition to the high performance of these C-QWIPs, the corresponding FPAs are also easily producible, making them ideal for large production. We will discuss the optimization of the detectors for different applications. Since corrugated coupling is wavelength insensitive, it is capable of broadband and multi-color detection. We will present a GaAs/AlGaAs broadband detector based on a binary superlattice design. Incorporating the broadband characteristic in a high gain InGaAs/InP material, C-QWIPs with large background photocurrent can be obtained for high speed applications. For multi-color detection, we have investigated two different approaches. One is based on a voltage-tunable, two-color QWIP material, which can be switched between two detection wavelengths simply by changing the detector bias. Stacking two of these similar QWIPs together and separating them with a middle contact layer, a voltage tunable, four-color detector array can be fabricated. A second approach is to combine a broadband QWIP material with a wavelength-selective light coupling method. Using a light coupling geometry to control the detection wavelength of individual pixels, a large number of wavelengths can be detected based on a single broadband detector material.