The University of Texas System

University of Illinois

Sandia Corporation

U.S. Department of Energy

Daniel M Wasserman

Eric A Shaner

Xiuling Li

Songbin Gong

Seth Bank

Xiang Zhao

Leland Nordin

Andrew Briggs

Mid-IR light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on type-II quantum dot (QD) active regions grown with monolithically integrated semiconductor metal layers are provided. These LEDs comprise layers of type-II semiconductor (e.g., InGaSb) quantum dots integrated into a pn junction diode (e.g., InAs) grown above a highly doped backplane, such as an n++ InAs backplane, all in the same epitaxial growth. Aspects described herein minimize non-radiate recombination times and significantly increase radiative recombination rates by controlling the emission of the emitting QDs in the near field of an optical metal.

Enhanced room temperature mid-IR LEDs with integrated semiconductor 'metals'

Systems and methods are provided for filtering coherent infrared light from a thermal background for protection of infrared (IR) imaging arrays and detection systems. A Michelson interferometer is used for coherent light filtering. In an implementation, a system includes a fixed mirror, a beam splitter, and a moving mirror which can be controlled translationally, as well as tip/tilt. The Michelson interferometer may be used as an imaging system. For imaging applications, a system may comprise a tunable array of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors. A mid-wave IR interferometer with electronic feedback and MEMS mirror array is provided.

Tunable coherent light filter for optical sensing and imaging

A mid-infrared detector that uses a heavily doped material (e.g., indium arsenide) as a backplane to the detector structure to improve detector performance and fabrication cost. The infrared detector includes a substrate and a backplane of heavily doped material consisting of two or more of the following materials: indium, gallium, arsenic and antimony. The backplane resides directly on the substrate. The infrared detector further includes a photodetector (e.g., type-I or type-II strained layer superlattice (SLS) nBn photodetector, type-I or type-II SLS pn junction photodetector, a quantum-dot infrared photodetector, a quantum well infrared photodetector, a homogeneous material pn junction photodetector) residing directly on the backplane. Additionally, the infrared detector may include a metal structure residing directly on the photodetector. In this manner, the absorption of electromagnetic energy in the photodetector is enhanced.

Mid-infrared detector using a heavily doped backplane to the detector structure

An optoelectronic device includes an etched body comprising a buried metal contact layer on a top surface of a semiconductor structure, which comprises one or more semiconductor layers. The buried metal contact layer includes an arrangement of holes therein. A plurality of nanopillar structures protrude from the top surface of the semiconductor structure and pass through the arrangement of holes. Each nanopillar structure is surrounded at a base thereof by a portion of the buried metal contact layer. When the etched body is exposed to incident radiation having a wavelength in the range from about 300 nm to about 10 microns, at least about 50% of the incident radiation is transmitted through the etched body at a peak transmission wavelength &#x3bb;.

Optoelectronic device including a buried metal grating for extraordinary optical transmission (EOT)

An infrared (IR) detector comprises a radio frequency (RF) resonator including a bottom electrode to provide acoustic excitation, a piezoelectric layer connected to the bottom electrode and suspended over a cavity defined within a semiconductor substrate, and a top layer comprising a mid-IR metamaterial and which is connected to the piezoelectric layer of the RF resonator. The top layer and the piezoelectric layer are sized to impedance match with a particular IR wavelength, to minimize reflection and maximize absorption of a particular IR wavelength, and thus make the top layer polarization sensitive to the particular IR wavelength.

Uncooled, high sensitivity spectral selective infrared detector

A tunable extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) device wherein the tunability derives from controlled variation of the dielectric constant of a semiconducting material (semiconductor) in evanescent-field contact with a metallic array of sub-wavelength apertures. The surface plasmon resonance wavelength can be changed by changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material. In embodiments of this invention, the dielectric material is a semiconducting material. The dielectric constant of the semiconducting material in the metal/semiconductor interfacial region is controllably adjusted by adjusting one or more of the semiconductor plasma frequency, the concentration and effective mass of free carriers, and the background high-frequency dielectric constant in the interfacial region. Thermal heating and/or voltage-gated carrier-concentration changes may be used to variably adjust the value of the semiconductor dielectric constant.

Growing community of inventors

Urbana, IL, United States of America

Daniel M Wasserman