The Physics Of Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors

Abstract

Part 1 Fundamentals: blackbody radiation and flux transfer blackbody radiation flux transfer signal and noise in photoconductors optical signal of a photoconductor noise in a photoconductor. Part 2 Energy levels in one-dimensional quantum wells: analytical method Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation Kronig-Penney model transfer-matrix method. Part 3 Quantum wells in crystal lattices: finite in-plane momentum crystal symmetries and band structures of GaAs basic properties of a group symmetry group of a GaAs crystal lattice k.p perturbation theory band nonparabolicity. Part 4 Quantum wells in the presence of interaction: direct Coulomb interaction electron-electron interaction electron-phonon interaction static electric field oscillating electric field. Part 5 Intersubband transitions in quantum wells: theory of dipole transitions bound-to-bound intersubband transitions square quantum wells stepped quantum wells strongly-coupled quantum well bound-to-extended intersubband transitions bound-to-miniband transitions decoupled quantum wells coupled quantum wells. Part 6 Optical coupling for normal incidence: square gratings random gratings corrugated QWIP structures quantum grid infrared photodetectors. Part 7 Hot-electron transistors: phase coherence of ballistic electrons plasmon and phonon emission by hot-electrons magnetophonon scattering. Part 8 Excitation hot-electron spectroscopy of quantum wells: thermal excitation optical excitation. Part 9 Transport properties of multiple quantum well structures: perturbation approach to tunnelling sequential tunnelling thermionic emission thermally assisted tunnelling tunnelling in the presence of a magnetic field. Part 10 Quantum well infrared photodetectors: photoconductivity of multiple quantum wells responsivity of thin barrier MQWs electron-electron inelastic scattering in MQWs avalanche multiplication in MQWs responsivity of thick barrier MQWs capture probability quantum noise characteristics of QWIPs optimization of QWIPs. Part 11 Infrared hot-electron transistors: detector figures of merit readout circuits and dark current requirements infrared hot-electron transistors high detectively IHETs IHETs for small NEAT IHETs for high temperature operation long wavelength IHET signal amplification and quasi-photovoltaic operation of IHETs. Part 12 Noise in infrared hot-electron transistors: quantum partition noise l/f noise. Part 13 Multi-colour infrared detection: strongly-coupled asymmetric quantum wells photoexcited coherent tunnelling voltage tunable multi-colour QWIPs voltage tunable multi-colour IHETs. Part 13 Performance assessment of quantum well infrared photodetectors: an assessment of the conventional technologies an assessment of the quantum well technology. Part 14 QWIPs and IHETs in focal plane array applications: examples for QWIPs examples for IHETs.