Highly sensitive, photon number resolving detectors mediated by phonons using $\delta$-doped GaAs transistors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a highly sensitive photon number resolving detector utilizing phonon-mediated conductance changes in 2DEG transistors, achieving high quantum efficiency for photon detection.

Contribution

The work demonstrates a novel photon detector design based on phonon-electron interactions in 2DEG transistors, enabling photon number resolution with high efficiency.

Findings

Achieved up to 85% internal quantum efficiency.

Demonstrated phonon-mediated conductance increase in 2DEG transistors.

Enabled photon number resolution using this detection principle.

Abstract

We report a photon number resolving detector using two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) based transistors. When the photon pulses impinge on the absorption region, the generated phonons dissipate ballistically in the 2DEG toward the trench isolated nanowire transistors near the surface. The phonon-electron interaction induces a positive conductance in the transistors, resulting in a current increase. With this principle, we obtain an internal quantum efficiency for this type of detector of up to 85%.