SBIR-STTR Award

A critical SWAP-C requirement for future IR systems is the ability to operate at room temperature (RT). While some IR devices such as microbolometers operate at RT, their speed and detectivity is compromised. Therefore, the functionality of IR platforms can still be improved. Tunnel diodes based on epsilon near zero (ENZ) metal-insulator-metal (MIM) rectenna structures have the potential of disruptive performance. Recently, this team has demonstrated record high doping of InAs with the highest plasma frequency (4.5 mm) ever reported. This result demonstrates the potential of highly doped InAs as a low-loss metal suitable for ENZ MIM rectennas spanning from 4.5 to 14 mm and beyond. Importantly, heavily doped InAs films grown by MBE can be lattice matched to AlSb, GaSb and their compounds, to produce arbitrary band alignments with exquisite thickness control. Further, this material system including their synthesis and processing are already heavily used showing a clear path for supply chain and commercialization without the need of heavy investments or retooling. The Phase I effort will realize ENZ MIM devices based on MBE lattice matched heavily doped InAs (InAs n++) and semi insulating AlAs0.84Sb0.16 heterostructures that can be tuned from 4.5 to 14 micron with linewidths smaller than 0.1eV.

High performance infrared photodetectors and light sources that span infrared wavelengths from 2 to 14 microns and beyond are critical to DoD. At the longer wavelengths these devices demand stringent cooling requirements, which add size, weight, power consumption and cost. In this program we are developing tunnel diodes based on epsilon near zero (ENZ) metal-insulator-metal (MIM) rectenna structures, which have the potential of disruptive performance. In Phase I we have demonstrated III-V based ultrabroad band hyperbolic metamaterials with ultra-low losses, suitable for ENZ MIM rectennas. In Phase II we will demonstrate ENZ MIM based high-speed ultrasensitive detectors that operate at room temperature, low-power ultra-bright narrow-band emitters that operate with single stage thermoelectric coolers, and ultrafast actively tunable phase arrays. Integration of these technologies will also be pursued to produce infrared technology prototypes. The realization of any of these devices will be game changing. The program brings together a proven consortium that includes Amethyst Research who specialize in new III-V device development, the University of Oklahoma’s infrared group, Naval Research Laboratory, the Army Research Laboratory and supply chain stakeholders to ensure integration into the E/O III-V commercial supply chain and technology adoption and system integration by relevant industrial primes.