Epsilon-near-zero tunneling diodes for room-temperature IR detectors and light sources

Third Floor Materials, Vanderbilt and Penn State Universities will explore a novel plasmonic rectenna structure capable of detecting and emitting IR light at ambient temperatures. Recent developments at Vanderbilt and Penn State have resulted in unique tools for design of Bragg reflectors capable of accessing polaritonic modes from free space in semiconducting thin films. Our team proposes using these devices combined with MIM tunnel diodes to produce a rectenna structure fast enough to couple to infrared radiation. The innovation proposed is supported by a substantial body of work from the team members developing high quality plasmonic materials, producing rectifying diode structures and fabricating materials and devices with designer absorption/emission profiles in the IR. The Phase I effort will develop materials and methods for production of MIM tunnel diode structures with sufficient asymmetry to rectify IR signals. A systematic study is proposed to examine appropriate metals and dielectrics for the counter electrode and insulator respectively. The antenna portion of the structure will be realized by direct deposition of Bragg reflectors on the tunnel diode. Here a novel inverse design methodology will be used to compute an a asymmetric DBR structure with multiple narrow pass-bands. As a conclusive capstone to the project, a complete, single-pixel rectenna structure will be fabricated and tested in the option period.