Quantum dot infrared photodetectors

Abstract

Self-assembled strained semiconductor nanostructures have been grown on GaAs substrates to fabricatequantum dot infrared photodetectors. State-filling photoluminescence experiments have been used to probe the zero-dimensional states and revealed four atomic-like shells (s,p,d,f) with an excitonic intersublevel energy spacing which was adjusted to ∼60 meV. The lower electronic shells were populated with carriers by ndoping the heterostructure, and transitions from the occupied quantum dot states to the wetting layer or to the continuum states resulted in infrared photodetection. We demonstrate broadband normal-incidence detection with a responsivity of a few hundred mA/W at a detection wavelength of ∼5 μm.