Dark current characteristics and background-limited (BLIP) performance of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well detectors

Jan Y. Andersson; Lennart Lundqvist; Jan Borglind

doi:10.1117/12.206927

24 April 1995 Dark current characteristics and background-limited (BLIP) performance of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well detectors

Jan Y. Andersson, Lennart Lundqvist, Jan Borglind

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2397, Optoelectronic Integrated Circuit Materials, Physics, and Devices; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.206927
Event: Photonics West '95, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

The most prominent mechanism of dark current in infrared detectors based on intersubband transitions in quantum wells (QWIP) is due to interaction of electrons with longitudinal optical phonons. Theoretical expressions are derived for the carrier lifetime, and for generation currents due to both photo-excitation as well as thermal excitation in a quantum well. Detector gain is discussed briefly. Calculated values of thermal generation currents and the ratio of photo-current to thermal current are found to accord well with experimental data. Finally the BLIP performance of QWIPs is investigated and the theory gives T_BLIP equals 81 K for a 9 micrometers cut-off detector with a 2D grating and optical cavity, for 300 K background temperature, optics f-number equals 1 with 100% transmission, and if a photo- to dark current ratio equals 1 criterion is used.

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Jan Y. Andersson, Lennart Lundqvist, and Jan Borglind "Dark current characteristics and background-limited (BLIP) performance of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well detectors", Proc. SPIE 2397, Optoelectronic Integrated Circuit Materials, Physics, and Devices, (24 April 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.206927

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