A low-voltage, low-noise avalanche photodiode with advanced heterojunction design for enhanced infrared performance
Institute Reference: 2-22082
Background
Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are critical optical detectors known for their high speed and gain, essential in applications requiring sensitive photon detection and fast response. Traditional infrared APDs have separate gain and absorber sections, separated by an unwanted energy barrier that inhibits electron flow. The barrier can be pulled down using some of the voltage that is applied to the APD, but that approach increases the total operating voltage and creates Shockley-Read-Hall generation of dark current in the absorber. This results in excess dark current, noise, and power consumption.
Technology Overview
This invention presents a novel APD design incorporating an energetically favorable heterojunction band alignments between the absorber and gain sections that eliminates the unwanted energy barrier that inhibits electron flow.
Benefits
The avalanche photodiode is designed to operate at a lower voltage, which significantly reduces power consumption, dark current and noise.
Applications
The technology finds applications across all fields which use infrared avalanche photodiodes, including infrared imaging, LIDAR and remote sensing, optical communication, medical imaging, astronomy, and quantum computing and single-photon detection.
Opportunity
The University seeks to license this technology exclusively.
Seeking
- Development partner
- Commercial partner
- Licensing
- University spinout