VIS-NIR plasmonic APD detectors

摘要

An avalanche photodiode (APD) electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) detector for visible to near infrared wavelengths is described. The detector includes an EMR absorption region, a voltage biasing element, and a charge multiplication region. The EMR absorption region includes a substantially regular array of silver or aluminum nanoparticles embedded in a matrix material. The voltage biasing element is configured to apply a bias voltage to the matrix material such that electrical current is directly generated in the EMR absorption region based on a cooperative plasmon effect in the detector material when electro-magnetic radiation in the visible to near infrared wavelength range is incident upon the detector material, where the dominant mechanism for decay in the cooperative plasmon effect is non-radiative. The charge multiplication region is arranged relative to the EMR absorption region to avalanche multiply the electrical current generated in the EMR absorption region.

主权项

1. An avalanche photodiode (APD) electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) detector for visible to near infrared wavelengths, comprising:
an EMR absorption region comprising a substantially regular array of silver or aluminum nanoparticles embedded in a matrix material; a voltage biasing element configured to apply a bias voltage to the matrix material such that electrical current is directly generated in the EMR absorption region based on a cooperative plasmon effect in the EMR absorption region when electro-magnetic radiation in the visible to near infrared wavelength range is incident upon the EMR absorption region, where the dominant mechanism for decay in the cooperative plasmon effect is non-radiative; and a charge multiplication region arranged relative to the EMR absorption region to avalanche multiply the electrical current generated in the EMR absorption region, where the array comprises a plurality of detector elements, each detector element comprising respective groups of nanoparticles.