Ultimate performance of Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors in the tunneling regime

TL;DR

This paper thoroughly characterizes a 15 micrometer Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector, revealing unique low-temperature IV plateau features that challenge existing theories and highlight the need for a microscopic modeling approach.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed electro-optical analysis of a VLWIR QWIP in the tunneling regime, emphasizing dark current behavior and identifying phenomena unexplained by current models.

Findings

Discovery of a plateau regime in IV curves at low temperatures

Current theories fail to explain the observed plateau phenomena

Highlights the necessity for microscopic modeling of dark current in QWIPs

Abstract

Thanks to their wavelength diversity and to their excellent uniformity, Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIP) emerge as potential candidates for astronomical or defense applications in the very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) spectral domain. However, these applications deal with very low backgrounds and are very stringent on dark current requirements. In this paper, we present the full electro-optical characterization of a 15 micrometer QWIP, with emphasis on the dark current measurements. Data exhibit striking features, such as a plateau regime in the IV curves at low temperature (4 to 25 K). We show that present theories fail to describe this phenomenon and establish the need for a fully microscopic approach.