CAREER: Avalanche-Free Single Photon Detectors Based on Type-II Heterojunctions and Nano-Switches

紧凑的固态单光子探测器被认为是广泛应用的使能组件，如生物光子学，断层扫描，国土安全，无损材料检测，天文学和量子密钥分发。尽管近年来这些领域取得了惊人的进展，但单光子探测器的性能进展甚微，因此探测器很快成为这些领域的瓶颈。当前单光子探测器的一些重要缺点是：量子效率差，暗计数率高，缺乏成像阵列，对较长波长的冷却要求苛刻，带宽低。智力优势：这个CAREER计划的目标是开发一种新型的无雪崩单光子探测器，可以解决上述大多数问题。将开发一种新的设备建模方法，能够无缝地对该设备的微观和纳米组件进行建模。建模将用于优化器件的外延结构，以及器件的几何形状。优化的设备将被评估，测量结果将用于在程序期间的几个周期内微调模型。更广泛的影响：实现超可见范围的高性能单光子探测器对生活质量具有重大影响，其广泛的医疗，工业，安全和科学应用体现了这一点。同时，我们也会将部分研究成果纳入固态课程与红外线探测器进阶课程中。将开发的模拟软件为学生提供了一个独特的途径来设计具有纳米尺寸区域的探测器，并在这些课程中看到它们的性能。来自代表性不足和少数群体的本科生和研究生将被鼓励参与这项研究。在这方面，我们计划利用西北大学的研究生教育联盟和教授项目。

Mohseni0547227Compact solid-state single photon detectors are regarded as enabling components in a wide range of applications such as biophotonics, tomography, homeland security, non-destructive material inspection, astronomy, and quantum key distribution. Despite the astonishing progress of these fields in recent years, there has been little progress in the performance of single photon detectors, and hence the detector is quickly becoming the bottleneck in these fields. Some of the important shortcomings of the current single photon detectors are: poor quantum efficiency, high dark count rates, lack of imaging arrays, severe cooling requirement for longer wavelengths, and low bandwidth. Intellectual Merit:The goal of this CAREER program is to develop a novel avalanche-free single photon detector that can address most of the above problems. A new device modeling approach will be developed that is capable of modeling the micro and nano-components of this device seamlessly. The modeling will be used to optimize the epitaxial structure of the device, as well as the device geometry. Optimized devices will be evaluated, and the measurement results will be used to fine-tune the model over several cycles during the program. Broader Impact:Realization of a high-performance single photon detector beyond visible range has a significant impact in the quality of life, manifested by its wide medical, industrial, security, and scientific applications. Also, we will incorporate some of the results of this research in the solid-state courses and advanced courses on infrared detectors. The simulation software that will be developed provides a unique avenue for the students to design detectors with nanometer size regions and see their performance during these courses. Undergraduate and graduate students from under-represented and minority groups will be encouraged to take part in this research. We plan to take advantage of Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professorate program at Northwestern University in this regard.