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Title: Ultra-thin plasmonic detectors
Plasmonic materials, and their ability to enable strong concentration of optical fields, have offered a tantalizing foundation for the demonstration of sub-diffraction-limit photonic devices. However, practical and scalable plasmonic optoelectronics for real world applications remain elusive. In this work, we present an infrared photodetector leveraging a device architecture consisting of a “designer” epitaxial plasmonic metal integrated with a quantum-engineered detector structure, all in a mature III-V semiconductor material system. Incident light is coupled into surface plasmon-polariton modes at the detector/designer metal interface, and the strong confinement of these modes allows for a sub-diffractive ( ∼<#comment/> λ<#comment/> 0 / 33 ) detector absorber layer thickness, effectively decoupling the detector’s absorption efficiency and dark current. We demonstrate high-performance detectors operating at non-cryogenic temperatures ( T = 195 K ), without sacrificing external quantum efficiency, and superior to well-established and commercially available detectors. This work provides a practical and scalable plasmonic optoelectronic device architecture with real world mid-infrared applications.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1926187 1720595
PAR ID:
10373319
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Optical Society of America
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Optica
Volume:
8
Issue:
12
ISSN:
2334-2536
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: Article No. 1545
Size(s):
Article No. 1545
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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