Design of midinfrared photodetectors enhanced by surface plasmons on grating structures

The authors propose to exploit the unique properties of surface plasmons to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of midinfrared photodetectors. The proposed photodetector consists of a slit in a metallic slab filled with absorptive semiconductor material. Light absorption in the slit is enhanced due to Fabry-Perot resonances. Further absorption enhancement is achieved by surrounding the slit with a series of periodic grooves that enable the excitation of surface plasmons that carry electromagnetic energy towards the slit. Using this scheme, they design and optimize a photodetector operating at 0=9.8 m with a roughly 250 times enhancement in the absorption per unit of volume of semiconductor material compared to conventional photodetectors operating at the same wavelength. © 2006 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2360896