Effects of electron correlation on the photocurrent in quantum dot infrared photodetectors

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electron correlation influences photocurrent in quantum dot infrared photodetectors, revealing Coulomb interactions cause double peaks and a plateau in photocurrent behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of electron correlation effects, including Coulomb interaction and level mixing, on photocurrent characteristics in quantum dot infrared photodetectors.

Findings

Coulomb interaction causes double peaks in photocurrent.

Photocurrent exhibits a plateau due to Coulomb blockade.

Photocurrent is a nonlinear function of carrier density.

Abstract

The effect of electron correlation on the photocurrent of self-assembled InAs/InGaAs quantum dot infrared photo-detector (QDIPs) is studied. It is found that Coulomb interaction and level mixing in the many-body open system lead to double peaks associated with the intra-band transitions involving two lowest levels of the quantum dot. Furthermore, the photocurrent is a nonlinear function of the steady-state carrier density and it displays a plateau due to Coulomb blockade.