Intersublevel infrared photodetector with strain-free GaAs quantum dot pairs grown by high-temperature droplet epitaxy.

Normal incident photodetection at mid infrared spectral region is achieved using the intersublevel transitions from strain-free GaAs quantum dot pairs in Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As matrix. The GaAs quantum dot pairs are fabricated by high temperature droplet epitaxy, through which zero strain quantum dot pairs are obtained from lattice matched materials. Photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation optical spectroscopy, and visible-near-infrared photoconductivity measurement are carried out to study the electronic structure of the photodetector. Due to the intersublevel transitions from GaAs quantum dot pairs, a broadband photoresponse spectrum is observed from 3 to 8 microm with a full width at half-maximum of approximately 2.0 microm.