CAREER: Theoretical Investigation of Single Photon Detectors for Quantum Technology: A Nano-structure Devices Approach

职业：量子技术单光子探测器的理论研究：纳米结构器件方法

• 批准号: 0449232
• 负责人: Enrico Bellotti
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-05-01 至 2011-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0449232&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Theoretical; Investigation; Single; Photon

Broader impact - Single photon detectors are the enabling devices for several important conventional and quantum technology applications, such as quantum key distribution, quantum imaging and single molecule spectroscopy. In spite of the growing importance of these applications, there has been little progress towards the development of compact solid-state detectors and arrays specifically designed for single photon counting. Single photon p-n junction detectors do not provide the necessary performance and their operation has never been optimized for this application. The PI intends to address this problem by presenting a novel class of single photon detectors based on semiconductor nano-structures and by developing a new numerical simulation approach for their design and optimization. The theory and simulation techniques developed will also be useful in the study of a broad range of carrier transport and light detection phenomena in nano-structured materials and devices.The educational plan includes developments in undergraduate and graduate programs, support for high school teachers, and an educational program for developing countries. A key feature is the use of simulation tools to improve the teaching of semiconductor physics and technologies at all educational levels.Intellectual Merit - The PI proposes the use of two novel detector concepts that work on different physical principles by taking advantage of nano-structure devices. The proposed device structures are intended to overcome some of the disadvantages (dark and afterpulse counts, lack of tunability and necessity of cooling) of the current single photon detector designs and provide additional functionalities, e.g. tunability. The first device is based on intersubband optical absorption in a multi-quantum-well or quantum dot layers, followed by a multiplication region. The second device uses a layer of quantum dots embedded in a high electron mobility transistor structure. In the proposed work, a new numerical simulation technique that the PI is developing will be used to design and optimize a new class of single photon detectors. The new numerical simulation approach is based on a microscopic model that describes the details of the detection, multiplication and carrier transport processes and their time evolution. This technique does not have the drawbacks of the macroscopic models, provides a better description of the physics and operation of single photon detectors, and is complementary to analytical methods being developed by other groups. The simulation technique will also be used to show how the performance of the current generation of APDs can be improved.

更广泛的影响 - 单个光子检测器是几种重要的常规技术和量子技术应用的启示设备，例如量子密钥分布，量子成像和单分子光谱。尽管这些应用的重要性越来越重要，但对于专门为单个光子计数而设计的紧凑型固态探测器和阵列的发展几乎没有进步。单个Photon P-N连接探测器没有提供必要的性能，并且其操作从未针对此应用进行优化。 PI打算通过基于半导体纳米结构提供新的单个光​​子检测器，并通过为其设计和优化开发新的数值模拟方法来解决此问题。开发的理论和仿真技术也将在纳米结构材料和设备中广泛的运输运输和光探测现象的研究中很有用。教育计划包括本科和研究生课程的发展，对高中教师的支持以及对发展中国家的教育计划。一个关键特征是使用仿真工具在所有教育水平上都可以改善半导体物理和技术的教学。IntlectualFure -fiew- PI提出了通过利用纳米结构设备来使用两个新颖的探测器概念，这些概念可以在不同的物理原理上使用。所提出的设备结构旨在克服当前单个光子检测器设计的某些缺点（黑暗和胸腔计数，缺乏可调性和冷却性），并提供其他功能，例如可调性。第一个设备基于多量 - 孔或量子点层中的子带光吸收，然后是乘法区域。第二个设备使用嵌入在高电子迁移式晶体管结构中的量子点。在拟议的工作中，PI开发的一种新的数值模拟技术将用于设计和优化新的单个光​​子检测器。新的数值模拟方法基于一个微观模型，该模型描述了检测，乘法和载体传输过程及其时间演变的细节。该技术没有宏观模型的缺点，可以更好地描述单个光子探测器的物理和操作，并且是其他组开发的分析方法的补充。模拟技术还将用于展示如何改善当前一代APD的性能。