Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bloch wave conditions for continuum states in the InGaAs/GaAs QWIPs

  • Published:
Optical and Quantum Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We study the optical transition between bound-to-(quasi)-continuum states in InGaAs/GaAs quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) by investigating the boundary conditions of the extended states. Comparing running wave function and Bloch wave function with experimental results, it is find out that Bloch wave function is the much more suitable boundary condition for InGaAs/GaAs QWIPs with multiple quantum well (QW) structure. The blueshift of the responding peak is smaller when the Bloch wave boundary conditions apply. By changing the width of the InGaAs QW, we observe the changing of characterizing photocurrent peak corresponding to two boundary conditions respectively. The blueshift of the responding peak is smaller when Bloch wave boundary conditions apply. The detailed dependence of peak response wavelength and device operation mode on the indium mole fraction and InGaAs QW width is also investigated, offering guidance for device designing and optimization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bandara, K.M.S.V., Levine, B.F., Asom, M.T.: Tunneling emitter undoped quantum-well infrared photodetector. J. Appl. Phys. 74, 346–350 (1993)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheah, C.W., Karunasiri, G., Tan, L.S., Zhou, L.F.: Responsivities of n-type GaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs step multiple-quantum-well infrared detectors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 145–147 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, Y., Willander, M., Jiang, J., Li, N., Lu, W., Liu, H.C.: Photocurrents of 14 µm quantum-well infrared photodetectors. J. Appl. Phys. 93, 9432–9436(2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gunapala, S.D., Bandara, K.M.S.V., Levine, B.F., Sarusi, G., Sivco, D.L., Cho, A.Y.: Very long wavelength In x Ga1−x As/GaAs quantum well infrared photodetectors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 2288–2290 (1994)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, W., Chen, X., Ye, Z., Feng, A.L., Yin, F., Zhang, B., Liao, L., Lu, W.: Dependence of ion-implant-induced LBIC novel characteristic on excitation intensity for long-wavelength HgCdTe-based photovoltaic infrared detector pixel arrays. IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 19, 1–7 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, W., Ye, Z., Liao, L., Chen, H., Chen, L., Ding, R., He, L., Chen, X., Lu, W.: A 128 × 128 long-wavelength/mid-wavelength two-color HgCdTe infrared focal plane array detector with ultra-low spectral crosstalk. Opt. Lett. 39, 5130–5133 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, B.F.: Quantum-well infrared photodetectors. J. Appl. Phys. 74, R1–R81 (1993)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X.Q., Li, N., Chen, X.S., Lu, W., Xu, W.L., Yuan, X.Z., Li, N., Shen, S.C., Yuan, S., Tan, H.H., Jagadish, C.: Wavelength tuning of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetectors by thermal interdiffusion. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 38, 5044–5045 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lotfi, H., Li, L., Ye, H., Hinkey, R.T., Leia, L., Yang, R.Q., Keay, J.C., Mishima, T.D., Santos, M.B., Johnson, M.B.: Interband cascade infrared photodetectors with long and very-long cutoff wavelengths. Infrared Phys. Technol. 70, 162–167 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, W., Mu, Y.M., Liu, X.Q., Chen, X.S., et al.: Direct observation of above-quantum step quasibound states in GaAs/AlGaAs/vacuum heterostructures. Phys. Rev. B 57, 9787–9791(1998)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, W., Ji, Y.L., Chen, G.B., Tang, N.Y., Chen, X.S., Shen, S.C., Zhao, Q.X., Willander, M.: Enhancement of room-temperature photoluminescence in InAs quantum dots. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4300–4302 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martyniuk, P., Rogalski, A.: MWIR barrier detectors versus HgCdTe photodiodes. Infrared Phys. Technol. 70, 125–128 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, S.C.: Comparison and competition between MCT and QW structure material for use in IR detectors. Microelectron. J. 25, 713–719 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 61106092 and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality under Grants 14DZ2260800.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multidimensional Information Processing, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China

    X. Tong, D. Y. Xiong, N. Lan & X. Q. Lu

  2. Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China

    D. Y. Xiong

Authors
  1. X. Tong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Y. Xiong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. Lan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. X. Q. Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Y. Xiong.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Numerical Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices, NUSOD’ 15.

Guest edited by Julien Javaloyes, Weida Hu, Slawek Sujecki and Yuh-Renn Wu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tong, X., Xiong, D.Y., Lan, N. et al. Bloch wave conditions for continuum states in the InGaAs/GaAs QWIPs. Opt Quant Electron 48, 98 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-016-0372-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-016-0372-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation