Nanotunneling junction-based hyperspectal polarimetric photodetector and detection method
US7501636B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 20, 2007 |
| Grant date | Mar 10, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 12, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/20
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A photodetector, detector array, and method of operation thereof in which nanojunctions are formed by crossing layers of nanowires. The crossing nanowires are separated by a few nm thick electrical barrier layer which allows tunneling. Each nanojunction is coupled to a slot antenna for efficient and frequency-selective coupling to photo signals. The nanojunctions formed at the intersection of the crossing wires defines a vertical tunneling diode that rectifies the AC signal from a coupled antenna and generates a DC signal suitable for reforming a video image. The nanojunction sensor allows multi/hyper spectral imaging of radiation within a spectral band ranging from terahertz to visible light, and including infrared (IR) radiation. This new detection approach also offers unprecedented speed, sensitivity and fidelity at room temperature.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.