Novel Wavelength Tailorable Heterojunctions For Infrared (IR)Detection

拟议项目涉及异质结概念的研究，用于开发在化学和生物学光谱学、光通信、等离子体诊断、医学和生物成像系统以及天体物理学等重要领域具有潜在应用的红外探测器。在以前的NSF计划中，重点是用于IR探测的QRST探测器格式和通过理解瞬态效应来改进性能。在这里，可定制的固态红外探测器的发展为3-30微米（100-10太赫兹）的范围（一个技术上的重要领域，广泛的应用）提出。这些探测器显示出比现有探测器更好的性能（响应度、效率、工作温度和D*）。最近在太赫兹产生方面的突破已经开始弥合太赫兹频率与以上和以下频率之间的差距。然而，在太赫兹探测器的发展，极端的冷却能力仍然是一个要求，在超导热电子测辐射热计。为了使该领域得到实质性的发展，源和探测器都应该以相同的速度发展。该提案的主要目标是设计和表征基于新概念[异质结界面功函数内部光电发射（HEILESS）]的检测器，并优化各种频率（波长）范围的器件。这项工作将包括实验和理论努力研究的性能，包括掺杂，势垒参数，层厚度，谐振腔效应和暗电流问题的器件参数的作用。在与其他大学（康奈尔大学），国家实验室（NRC -加拿大和美国陆军研究实验室）和其他研究所（微结构物理研究所，下诺夫哥罗德）的科学家合作中，这些问题将通过探索不同群体和不同方法生长的结构来解决。优化设计的功能，良好的掺杂剖面，能量选择性屏障，发射极/集电极屏障等将被建模和纳入。这项尖端技术的高度国家重要性，以及格鲁吉亚州立大学高素质的工作人员和学生与我们的合作者的密切参与，将继续对推进知识，物理和工程教育产生重大影响，为科学界提供杰出的青年科学家，为国家的科学和技术基础作出重大贡献。合作还将确保有效地转移到商业和政府实验室的新兴高科技应用。这项研究的结果将大大提高对探测器的理解，并为下一代THz探测器奠定基础。

The proposed project involves research on Heterojunctions concepts, for developing infrared detectors having potential applications in important areas such as spectroscopy in chemistry and biology, optical communication, plasma diagnostics, medical and biological imaging systems, and astrophysics. In the previous NSF program, emphasis was on QWIP detector formats for IR detection and the improvement of the performance by understanding transient effects. Here the development of tailorable solid state IR detectors for 3-30 um (100-10 THz) range (a technologically important region for a wide range of applications) is proposed. These detectors show better performance (responsivity, efficiency, operating temperature and D*) than the available detectors. Recent breakthroughs in THz generation have started bridging the gap between terahertz frequencies and the frequencies above and below. However, in THz detector development, extreme cooling capabilities are still a requirement as in superconducting hot electron bolometers. In order for the field to develop substantially, both source and detectors should develop at the same pace. The primary goal of this proposal will he to design and characterize detectors based on a novel concept [heterojunction interfacial workfunction internal photoemission (HEIWIP)] and optimize the devices for various frequency (wavelength) ranges. The work will include both experimental and theoretical effort studying the role of device parameters on the performance including doping, barrier parameters, layer thickness, resonance cavity effects and dark current issues. In collaboration with scientists at other universities (Cornell), national laboratories (NRC - Canada and U.S. Army Research Lab) and other institutes (Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Nizhny Novgorod) these problems will be addressed by exploring structures grown by different groups and different methods. Optimized designed features, well-doping profiles, energy-selective barriers, emitter/collector barriers, etc. will be modeled and incorporated.The high national importance of this cutting-edge technology, and the close involvement of highly qualified staff and students at Georgia State with our collaborators will continue to impact significantly on advancing knowledge, and physics and engineering education, making a significant contribution to the nation's science and technology base by supplying the scientific community with leading young scientists. The collaborations will also ensure effective transfer to emerging high-tech applications both in commercial and government laboratories. The results of the proposed research will vastly improve the understanding of detectors and form the basis for the next generation of THz detectors.