III-V Based Epsilon-near-zero tunneling diodes for room-temperature infrared detectors and light sources

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.