Research Team Realizes 3-Color Photodetector
April 25, 2016 | Northwestern UniversityEstimated reading time: 1 minute
While infrared waves are available in short, mid, and long lengths, most detection devices are unable to harness all three at the same time.
Now Northwestern University's Manijeh Razeghi and her team have developed a new approach in device design to realize a three-color, shortwave-midwave-longwave infrared photodetector. With the new design, the devices can detect different infrared wavebands by simply varying the applied bias voltage. This could open up a range of potential applications, including infrared color televisions and three-color infrared imaging.
"A device capable of detecting different infrared wavebands is highly desirable in the next generation infrared imaging systems," said Razeghi, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering.
Supported by DARPA, the Army Research Laboratory, Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA, the team's finding were published on April 7 in Nature Scientific Reports.
Led by Razeghi, the researchers invented and investigated the new design for three-color photodiodes without using additional terminal contacts. The resulting photodetector is based on indium-arsenide/gallium-antimonide/aluminum-antimonide type-II superlattices.
As the applied bias voltage varies, the photodetector sequentially exhibits the behavior of three different colors, corresponding to the bandgap of three absorbers, and achieves well-defined cut-off wavelengths and high-quantum efficiency in each channel.
This new research builds on the Razeghi group's many years of work in Northwestern's Center for Quantum Devices, including the development of the first single-color, short-wavelength infrared photodetector and two-color, shortwave-midwave infrared photodetector based on type-II superlattices.
"I am fascinated by these results," Razeghi said. "The initial success in this demonstration will drive us to the new frontier of infrared detection and imaging technology."
Suggested Items
Quantic Electronics Announces Acquisition of M Wave Design
05/20/2024 | Quantic ElectronicsQuantic® Electronics, a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, announced the acquisition of M Wave Design, a leading supplier of ferrite-based RF and Microwave components for aerospace, defense, and quantum computing applications.
Textron Systems Collaborates with Kodiak to Develop Uncrewed Military Vehicle
05/20/2024 | PRNewswireTextron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, a leading developer of crewed and uncrewed military ground vehicles, and Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving technology developer for the trucking and defense markets, announced that they are collaborating to develop an autonomous military ground vehicle specifically designed for driverless operations.
Spring 2024 Santa Clara County Flexfactor Finals Held at Nextflex
05/20/2024 | NextFlexNextFlex hosts this semester’s FlexFactor. Four teams of high school students competed by pitching their inventive products to a panel of esteemed judges composed of Robert de Neve, General Partner & Chief Strategist General Partner & Chief Strategist at NextPhase Ventures; Christine Holly Ngo, VP of Operations and Business Development at Silicon Valley Elite Manufacturing, Inc; and Jackson Rambough, FHE Design and Process Engineer at NextFlex.
Würth Elektronik in United States Embarks on New Milestone with State-of-the-Art Headquarters
05/17/2024 | Wurth ElektronikWürth Elektronik in the United States, a leading manufacturer of electronic and electromechanical components as well as custom magnetics, has announced the commencement of construction on a new 70,000-square-foot headquarters. This new facility underscores the company’s commitment to innovation and grow in the electronics industry.
IPC APEX EXPO: Some Thoughts About Growth
05/16/2024 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007After two and a half days of wandering the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, for the first time, I almost felt like I was exploring CES. There were so many booths and exhibits that I could describe, but I’d like to focus on the growth and huge value of this event, which has expanded well beyond just the growing and impressive exhibit show floor.