The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 27, 2010
Filed:
Jul. 06, 2005
Susumu Komiyama, Setagaya-ku, JP;
Zhenghua an, Minato-ku, JP;
Jeng-chung Cheng, Setagaya-ku, JP;
Abstract
An infrared photodetector that is capable of efficiently detecting single photon over an extensive range of wavelengths from several μm to several hundreds of μm and is suitable for arraying, and wherein an oscillatory electric field of a single infrared photon () parallel to a plane of the patch section () of a microstrip antenna when the photon is incident to cause the latter to resonate therewith is converted to an oscillatory electric field () in a z direction, which an electron () in a quantum dot () in its base state subband () is allowed to absorb, thereby being excited to a first excitation state subband () to tunnel through a potential barrier () and set free to escape into a quantum well () in a −z direction where it is absorbed. An electric field by ionization of the quantum dot () as a result of escape of the electron () causes change in conductance of a point contact (). An ionized state continuing long, the integral of change in current () flowing from a source () to a drain () becomes a magnitude that can be detected, and sensitivity that allows detecting a single infrared photon is achieved.