The objective of this program is to achieve high quantum efficiency in a deep sub-wavelength absorbing region, using a novel metallo-dielectric optical antenna. The reduced volume of the device leads to a reduced noise, while the antenna maintains high quantum efficiency. This combination leads to a high detectivity even at elevated temperatures.
Intellectual Merit: The proposed research provides a new insight into the operation of optical antennas; in particular, the use of metallo-dielectric structures to enhance efficient coupling of light to deep sub-wavelength structures. Realization of thermoelectric-cooled LWIR detectors and imagers with background limited infrared photo-detection performance could significantly impact many fields of science and engineering.
Broader Impact: Some of the results of this research will be incorporated in the photonics courses and an advanced course on Infrared Detectors. Open-source simulation tools that will be developed in this research effort will become publicly available through the literature and shared with other researchers in this field. Undergraduate and graduate students from under-represented and minority groups will be encouraged to take part in this research. Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professorate (AGEP) program at Northwestern University would be used in this regard.
