The invention describes a device which enables MWIR photodetectors to operate at zero bias and deliver low dark current performance. The performance is achieved by incorporating a p-n junction in the barrier. The device consists of a p-type contact layer, a p-n junction in the compound barrier (CB) with graded composition and/or doping profiles, and an n-type absorber (p-CB-n) device.

A quantum cascade detector includes a semiconductor substrate; an active layer having a cascade structure; a lower cladding layer provided between the active layer and the substrate and having a lower refractive index than the active layer; a lower metal layer provided between the lower cladding layer and the substrate; an upper cladding layer provided on an opposite side to the substrate with respect to the active layer and having a lower refractive index than the active layer; and an upper metal layer provided on an opposite side to the active layer with respect to the upper cladding layer. A first end face being in a waveguide direction in a waveguide structure with the active layer, lower cladding layer, and upper cladding layer is an entrance surface for light to be detected.

An avalanche photodiode, and related method of manufacture and method of use thereof, that includes a first contact layer; a multiplication layer, wherein the multiplication layer includes AlInAsSb; a charge, wherein the charge layer includes AlInAsSb; an absorption, wherein the absorption layer includes AlInAsSb; a blocking layer; and a second contact layer.

A monolithic multiple solar cell includes at least three partial cells, with a semiconductor mirror placed between two partial cells. The aim of the invention is to improve the radiation stability of said solar cell. For this purpose, the semiconductor mirror has a high degree of reflection in at least one part of a spectral absorption area of the partial cell which is arranged above the semiconductor mirror and a high degree of transmission within the spectral absorption range of the partial cell arranged below the semiconductor mirror.

A photodetector comprises a substrate, and supported by the substrate, a configuration to act as optical resonator and to absorb incident radiation of a band, including infrared. The configuration comprises: a resonant frontside structure facing the incident radiation; a backside structure and arranged between the frontside structure and the substrate; and a layer of an active material made from a semiconducting material, and configured to convert at least part of the incident radiation of the band into charge carriers. The frontside structure or the backside structure is made from electrically conducting material and is in contact with the active material. The configuration is configured to selectively absorb the incident radiation of the band. The frontside structure or the backside structure that is in contact with the active material is contacted by electrical contacts for sensing the charge carriers in the active material. The active material comprises amorphous or polycrystalline material.

The present invention refers to a photovoltaic cell (1) comprising a heterojunction with a base layer (L4, L4′, L4″) made from an Aluminium-Ar-senic-basedalloy and an emitter layer (L3, L3′) made from an Indium-Phosphorous based alloy wherein the emitter layer (L3, L3′) has a thickness smaller than 100 nm and acts as a passivation layer to prevent oxidation of the base layer and reduces surface recombination (L4, L4′, L4″).

A hybrid receiver for a concentrator photovoltaic-thermal power system combines a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module and a thermal module that converts concentrated sunlight into electrical energy and thermal heat. Heat transfer fluid flowing through a cooling block removes waste heat generated by photovoltaic cells in the CPV module. The heat transfer fluid then flows through a helical tube illuminated by sunlight that misses the CPV module. Only one fluid system is used to both remove the photovoltaic-cell waste heat and capture high-temperature thermal energy from sunlight. Fluid leaving the hybrid receiver can have a temperature greater than 200° C., and therefore may be used as a source of process heat for a variety of commercial and industrial applications. The hybrid receiver can maintain the photovoltaic cells at temperatures below 110° C. while achieving overall energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 80%.

An infrared image sensor includes a bias circuit receiving a timing signal, the bias circuit generating a bias voltage having a first value and a second value in response to the timing signal; a semiconductor light-receiving device including a photodiode, the semiconductor light-receiving device receiving the bias voltage; a read-out circuit including a read-out electrode connected to the photodiode, the read-out electrode receiving an electrical signal from the photodiode; and a signal processing circuit processing a read-out signal from the read-out circuit synchronously with the timing signal. The photodiode includes an optical absorption layer made of a III-V group compound semiconductor. The optical absorption layer has a type II multi quantum well structure including first compound semiconductor layers containing antimony as a constituent element and second compound semiconductor layers that are stacked alternately.

An electromagnetic radiation detector includes an InP substrate having a first surface opposite a second surface; a first InGaAs electromagnetic radiation absorber stacked on the first surface and configured to absorb a first set of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; a set of one or more buffer layers stacked on the first InGaAs electromagnetic radiation absorber and configured to absorb at least some of the first set of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; a second InGaAs electromagnetic radiation absorber stacked on the set of one or more buffer layers and configured to absorb a second set of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and an immersion condenser lens formed on the second surface and configured to direct electromagnetic radiation through the InP substrate and toward the first InGaAs electromagnetic radiation absorber and the second InGaAs electromagnetic radiation absorber.

A photodetector comprising a photoabsorber, comprising a doped semiconductor, a contact layer comprising a doped semiconductor and a barrier layer comprising a charge carrier compensated semiconductor, the barrier layer compensated by doping impurities such that it exhibits a valence band energy level substantially equal to the valence band energy level of the photo absorbing layer and a conduction band energy level exhibiting a significant band gap in relation to the conduction band of the photo absorbing layer, the barrier layer disposed between the photoabsorber and contact layers. The relationship between the photo absorbing layer and contact layer valence and conduction band energies and the barrier layer conduction and valance band energies is selected to facilitate minority carrier current flow while inhibiting majority carrier current flow between the contact and photo absorbing layers.