ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION WITH HIGH-SPEED WAVELENGTH-CONVERTING LAYER
20220021465 · 2022-01-20
Inventors
- Boon S. OOI (Thuwal, SA)
- Chun Hong Kang (Thuwal, SA)
- Tien Khee NG (Thuwal, SA)
- Osman M. Bakr (Thuwal, SA)
- Ibrahim DURSUN (Thuwal, SA)
- Lutfan SINATRA (Thuwal, SA)
- Marat LUTFULLIN (Thuwal, SA)
Cpc classification
H04B10/675
ELECTRICITY
International classification
Abstract
A high-speed, wavelength-converting receiver that includes a housing; a high-speed, wavelength-converting layer attached to the housing and configured to absorb a first light having a first wavelength range and emit a second light having a second wavelength range, which is different from the first wavelength range; and a high-speed photodetector attached to the housing and having an active face configured to absorb the second light having the second wavelength range and generate an electrical signal. The active face of the photodetector is fully placed within the housing.
Claims
1-24. (canceled)
25. A high-speed, perovskite-based wavelength-converting receiver, the receiver comprising: a housing; a high-speed, wavelength-converting layer attached to the housing and configured to absorb a first light having a first wavelength range and emit a second light having a second wavelength range, which is different from the first wavelength range; and a high-speed photodetector attached to the housing and having an active face configured to absorb the second light having the second wavelength range and generate an electrical signal, wherein the active face of the photodetector is fully placed within the housing, and wherein the first light is ultraviolet (UV) light and the second light is visible light.
26. The receiver of claim 25, wherein a material of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is configured to respond to a change in a light intensity with a speed of at least megabits per second.
27. The receiver of claim 25, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is an organometallic or inorganic halide perovskite having a lifetime less than 50 ns.
28. The receiver of claim 25, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer includes ABX.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals wherein A is selected from Cs.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, CH.sub.3NH.sub.3.sup.+, and HC(NH.sub.2).sub.2.sup.+, B is selected from Pb.sup.2+, Sn.sup.2+, Ge.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Pd.sup.2+, and Eu.sup.2+, and X is a halogen Cl.sup.−, Br.sup.− or I.sup.−.
29. The receiver of claim 25, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer includes CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals.
30. The receiver of claim 25, wherein the high-speed photodetector is an Si- or group-III-nitride-based photodetector.
31. The receiver of claim 25, wherein the high-speed photodetector is targeting high-speed for the second light but not for the first light for a wavelength-selective application.
32. The receiver of claim 25, wherein a wall of the housing, the high-speed photodetector and a substrate on which the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is formed define a chamber, and the active face of the high-speed photodetector is fully placed inside the chamber.
33. The receiver of claim 25, further comprising: a highly-reflective optical element placed over the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer, for filtering out visible light from the first light; a UV-transparent microlens placed over the highly-reflective optical element; and a coated-noise filter attached to the UV-transparent microlens.
34. The receiver of claim 25, wherein a UV transparent substrate is formed directly over the high-speed photodetector and the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is formed directly over the UV transparent substrate.
35. The receiver of claim 25, further comprising: cladding layers sandwiching sides of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is formed directly on the high-speed photodetector.
36. The receiver of claim 35, wherein a refractive index of the cladding layers is smaller than a refractive index of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer.
37. A high-speed, perovskite-based wavelength-converting receiver, the receiver comprising: a housing having a spherical interior chamber, the spherical interior chamber having an inlet port for receiving a first light having a first wavelength range, and having an outlet port for releasing a second light having a second wavelength range, which is different from the first wavelength range; a high-speed, wavelength-converting layer located inside the spherical interior chamber and configured to absorb the first light and emit the second light; and a high-speed photodetector located at the outlet port and having an active face configured to absorb the second light having the second wavelength range and generate an electrical signal, wherein a material of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is configured to respond to a change in a light intensity with a speed of at least megabits per second, wherein the first light is ultraviolet (UV) light and the second light is visible light.
38. The receiver of claim 37, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is an organometallic or an inorganic halide perovskite having a lifetime less than 50 ns.
39. The receiver of claim 37, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer includes ABX.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals wherein A is selected from Cs.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, CH.sub.3NH.sub.3.sup.+, and HC(NH.sub.2).sub.2.sup.+, B is selected from Pb.sup.2+, Sn.sup.2+, Ge.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Pd.sup.2+, and Eu.sup.2+, and X is a halogen Cl.sup.−, Br.sup.− or I.sup.−, and the high-speed photodetector is Si-based.
40. The receiver of claim 37, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer includes CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals and the high-speed photodetector is an Si- or group-III-nitride-based photodetector.
41. The receiver of claim 37, further comprising: a high UV-reflective coating on the spherical interior chamber; and a highly transparent substrate on which the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is directly formed.
42. A method for transmitting information using ultraviolet (UV) light, the method comprising: emitting first UV light that encodes the information; receiving, at a high-speed, perovskite-based wavelength-converting layer, the first UV light; re-emitting, with the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer, a second light having a wavelength different from the first UV light, wherein the second light is visible light; transforming, with a high-speed photodetector, the second light into an electrical signal that preserves the encoded information; and decoding, with a processing unit, the encoded information from the electrical signal, wherein a material of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is configured to respond to a change in a light intensity with a speed of at least megabits per second.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer includes CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals and the high-speed photodetector is Si-based.
44. The method of claim 42, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer is an organometallic or an inorganic halide perovskite having a lifetime less than 50 ns.
45. The method of claim 42, wherein the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer includes ABX.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals wherein A is selected from Cs.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, CH.sub.3NH.sub.3.sup.+, and HC(NH.sub.2).sub.2.sup.+, B is selected from Pb.sup.2+, Sn.sup.2+, Ge.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Pd.sup.2+, and Eu.sup.2+, and X is a halogen Cl.sup.−, Br.sup.− or I.sup.−, and the high-speed photodetector is Si-based.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] The following description of the embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. The following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. The following embodiments are discussed, for simplicity, with regard to a system that uses a high-speed, color-converting, photodetector with an inorganic based perovskite nanocrystals for UV communication. However, the embodiments to be discussed next are not limited to inorganic materials, but they may be used with organic materials that wavelength-convert incoming UV light into visible light and supply the visible light to a Si-based photodetector or other conventional photodetector.
[0032] Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0033] According to an embodiment, a hybrid Si-based photodetection device incorporates CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and a fast photoluminescence (PL) decay time as a UV-to-visible colour-converting layer for high-speed solar-blind UV communication. The facile formation of drop-cast CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs leads to a high PLQY of up to ˜73% and strong absorption in the UV region. With the addition of the NC layer, a nearly three-fold improvement in the responsivity and an increase of about 25% in the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the solar-blind region compared to a commercial silicon-based photodetector were observed. Moreover, time-resolved photoluminescence measurements demonstrated a decay time of 4.5 ns under a 372-nm UV excitation source, thus indicating the potential of this layer as a fast colour-converting layer. A significantly high-data rate of up to 34 Mbps in solar-blind communication was achieved using the hybrid CsPbBr.sub.3-silicon colour-converting photodetection scheme in conjunction with a 278-nm solar-blind UVC light-emitting diode (LED). These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of an integrated high-speed photoreceiver design of a composition-tuneable perovskite-based phosphor and a low-cost silicon-based photodetector for UV communication.
[0034] In contrast to other down-converting luminescent materials, all-inorganic lead halide perovskites (CsPbX.sub.3, where X=Cl, Br, and I) have emerged as a new class of materials for optoelectronic applications owing to their facile solution-processable synthesis, controllable visible emission spectrum, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and low optical gain threshold. Moreover, recent approaches using a novel passivation technique and a Fabry Perot (FP) microcavity on lead halide perovskite have also been shown to induce ultra-stable amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and even lasing characteristics. Such advancements are essential for realizing high-performance optical devices, such as up-conversion lasers and high-resolution optical microscopes. CsPbBr.sub.3 nanocrystals (NCs) have highly air-stable characteristics compared with other organic halide perovskites, e.g., chloride- and iodide-based perovskite NCs. In addition, CsPbBr.sub.3 NCs have a high absorption coefficient as well as a suitable bandgap for light detection and were recently demonstrated for use in a low-dose X-ray scintillator.
[0035] The inventors have observed that not only inorganic perovskite materials may be used as high-speed, wavelength-converting materials, but also some organic materials. Thus, an embodiment can include a high-speed, inorganic and/or organic, frequency down-converting layer with a lifetime of less than 50 ns. Examples of organic-based, frequency down-converting layers are as follows: BEH-PPV (poly[2,5-bis(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene]) having a lifetime of about 180 ps and PTB7 (Poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]]) having a lifetime of about 35 ps. The SY-PPV (SuperYellow copolymer), having a lifetime of about 1.9 ns, may also be used with other light wavelengths. In one application, the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer can include organometallic or inorganic halide perovskite having the formula ABX.sub.3 (where A is selected from Cs.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, CH.sub.3NH.sub.3.sup.+, and HC(NH.sub.2).sub.2.sup.+, B is selected from Pb.sup.2+, Sn.sup.2+, Ge.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Pd.sup.2+, and Eu.sup.2+, and X is a halogen CI.sup.−, Br or I.sup.−) and lifetime of 1-50 ns. In still another application, the organometallic halide perovskite can have a thickness of about 100 to 1,000 micron. In this embodiment, the length and width of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer can be designed based on a particular usage, from micron scale to centimeter scale or even higher.
[0036] According to an embodiment, a novel receiver for a UVC communication link is presented and this receiver uses a hybrid CsPbBr.sub.3-silicon colour-converting photodetection scheme, where the CsPbBr.sub.3 layer converts the UV light into visible light and the silicon (Si-based PD) converts the visible light from the CsPbBr.sub.3 layer into an electrical signal. The responsivity and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the Si-based PDs in the green spectrum region are significantly higher than those in the UV region. The high-PLQY drop-cast CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer on a UV quartz substrate can effectively down-convert the incident UV light into the green wavelength region to realize an enhanced photodetection performance in the UV region. The measured small-signal modulation bandwidth of this hybrid photodetector confirms the feasibility of high-frequency modulation. Correspondingly, a high-speed solar-blind UVC communication link was demonstrated using a 278-nm solar-blind UVC LED as a transmitter and the hybrid CsPbBr.sub.3-silicon colour converter as a receiver. This configuration demonstrates the feasibility of using a high-PLQY and high-speed CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer as a colour-converting luminescent material in a mature silicon-foundry-based photodetector platform for high-sensitivity and high-speed UV-based communication.
[0037] The novel receiver is now discussed with regard to
[0038] The chamber 224 formed by the transparent substrate 222, the PD 202, and the walls of the housing 204 has a height H between 0 and 1 mm. If the height H of the chamber 224 is different than zero, the chamber is configured to hold a gas, for example, nitrogen, or to be under vacuum conditions. This means that the chamber is sealed from the environment of the receiver 200 after being filled with nitrogen or another gas or after being emptied of any gas.
[0039] The PD 202 may be any known Si-based photodetector that is high-speed, or a Si-based avalanche photodetectors (APD), or other group-III-nitride-based photodetector. The high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 is in this embodiment a CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals layer, where the nanocrystals have an emission at about 506 nm wavelength with 20 nm of full-width at half-maximum as well as high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The PLQY in solution and film forms are ˜100% and ˜72%, respectively. However, as discussed above, other inorganic or organic materials may be used for the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220. Herein, for simplicity, it is assumed that the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 includes CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals.
[0040] The high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 is formed on a highly UV transparent substrate, for example, amorphous glass, quartz, or fused silica. The housing 204 may be formed from any material that is opaque to light in the visible and UV spectrum as it is not desired to receive or leak out any light through the walls of the housing.
[0041] For this embodiment, a first light 240 having a first wavelength range (UV range in this embodiment) is absorbed by the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 and down-converted (in terms of frequency) and re-emitted as a second light 242, having a second wavelength range (in the visible wavelength range in this example), inside the chamber 224. The visible light 242 is then absorbed by the high-speed PD 202 and transformed into an electrical signal 244, which is transmitted to processing unit 208, along leads 206A and 206B. In the embodiment, a highly reflective lens in the visible wavelength region could be added.
[0042] To improve the efficiency of this arrangement, in one embodiment, as illustrated in
[0043] In the embodiment illustrated in
[0044] The embodiment illustrated in
[0045] In still another embodiment, as illustrated in
[0046] In still another embodiment, as illustrated in
[0047] With the cladding layers 610 and 612, the re-emitted visible light from the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 can readily propagate, in a vertical zigzag fashion with total internal reflection (TIR) at the boundaries, onto the high-speed photodetector 202. The cladding layer having an index of refraction n.sub.2 is required to have a lower refractive index, i.e. n.sub.2<n.sub.1, than that of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 (index of refraction n.sub.1). A highly reflective microlens 228 in the visible wavelength region could be added as shown in
[0048] The high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 may be implemented into a micro-integrating sphere coupled to a high-speed photodetector as now discussed with regard to
[0049] Common for all the embodiments discussed above is that the chemical composition of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 may be selected to achieve a desired output visible wavelength, for example, between 400 and 800 nm. For example, if the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite nanocrystals layer 220 discussed above is used, then the UV light is transformed into green light. However, depending on the chemical composition of the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220, it is possible to transform the UV light into blue or red light, or any other desired wavelength in the visible range.
[0050] A method for forming the high-speed, wavelength-converting layer 220 on the highly-transparent substrate 222 is now discussed with regard to
[0051] Regarding step 804, the CsPbBr.sub.3 QD solution is available commercially, for example, from Quantum Solutions LLC (www.quantum-solutions.com). The QDs have oleic acid and oleylamine as ligands on the surface and are dispersed in toluene, with a QD concentration of approximately 20 mg/mL. TEM was performed on a sample that was prepared by diluting the QD solution using toluene, which was drop-cast onto a formvar/carbon-coated 300 mesh copper TEM grid for analysis. The CsPbBr.sub.3 NC layer was drop-cast onto a UV quartz substrate and dried to allow solvent evaporation for optical characterization.
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[0053] In addition, the inventors measured the PLQY of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs dispersed in toluene and drop-cast onto a quartz substrate and found it to be near unity in the solution form, while it was reduced to ˜73% in the thin-film form. These measurements demonstrate that the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer has a PLQY significantly higher than that of the other down-converting materials for the Si-based receiver, for instance, aluminium tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) (Alq3), N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis-(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine, bis-(8-hydroxyquinaldine)-chlorogallium (Gaq′.sub.2Cl), fluorene copolymers, and SuperYellow. Compared to other organic-based luminescent materials, the improvement in terms of the PLQY is largely ascribed to the increased rate of recombination due to the reduced dimensionality (from a 3D bulk layer to OD NCs), as well as to the unique synthesis method that results in reduced surface defects of NCs and surface passivation by oleic acid and oleylamine ligands. Using this method, the perovskite NCs are less susceptible to variations in the environment and thus yield a higher PLQY even in the form of thin films under ambient environments. Moreover, compared with commercialized CdSe-based NCs with a PLQY of ˜30-52% and a PL decay time of a few tens of ns, it is apparent that the PLQY achieved by the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs is significantly higher, concurrent with a faster PL decay time (<5 ns).
[0054] An advantage of the receivers 200 and 700 discussed above is the possibility of implementing encoding and decoding of data or information, i.e., to achieve UV-based communication. In this regard, various properties of the UV-based receivers 200 and 700 are now discussed. For effective collection of the light re-emitted from the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220, the receiver 700 shown in
[0055] To circumvent this issue, the receiver 200 or 700 down-shifts the UV light absorbed by the high-PLQY CsPbBr.sub.3 NC layer 220 into the green wavelength region, where the Si-based PDs exhibit a higher responsivity of up to 0.2 NW, as also shown in
[0056]
[0057] To evaluate the actual photogenerated carriers of the proposed colour-converting CsPbBr.sub.3 NC layer 220, the inventors also measured the resultant I-V characteristics with a 500-nm long pass (LP) filter (e.g., Thorlabs, FELH0500) mounted between the integrating sphere 700 and the Si-based PD 202. By using the LP filter to prevent the unabsorbed UV-wavelength photons from being detected by the Si-based PD 202, as shown in
[0058] Using the integrating sphere receiver 700, the inventors have also measured the responsivity of the Si-based PD 202 with and without the addition of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 in the UV wavelength region. The responsivity (R) is a key figure of merit for photodetectors, and it can be calculated on the basis of the generated photocurrent (I.sub.photocurrent) and incident light power (P.sub.incident) as follows:
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[0061] Comparatively, as shown previously in
[0062] Furthermore, the inventors calculated the photon conversion efficiency, which is also known as the external quantum efficiency (EQE), of the Si-based PD 202 with and without the addition of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 in the integrating sphere receiver 700. The EQE is the ratio of the electron-hole pairs generated by the photodiode to the incident photons:
where R.sub.λ is the responsivity in A/W, λ.sub.incident is the excitation wavelength in nanometres, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light in vacuum, and e is the elementary charge. Based on the measured responsivity, the calculated EQE 1130 for the bare Si-based PD 202 and the EQE 1132 for the PD 202 with the inclusion of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 in the integrating sphere receiver 700 are shown in
[0063] The EQE peak observed at approximately 270 nm corresponds well with the peak position of the absorption spectrum, as shown previously in
[0064] Another relevant parameter for evaluating the performance of a PD, i.e., the specific detectivity (D*) was also calculated based on Equation (3) as shown below:
where A is the device area in cm.sup.2, NEP is the noise equivalent power in W Hz.sup.−1/2, e is the elementary charge of 1.602×10.sup.−19 coulombs, I.sub.d is the dark current in amperes, and RA is the responsivity in A/W. The D* 1140 of the hybrid CsPbBr.sub.3—Si photodetection receiver 200 or 700, as shown in
[0065] In addition, the noise-related performance of the proposed receiver was also evaluated based on the noise equivalent power (NEP). NEP is defined as the amount of input optical power that generates an output photocurrent equal to the noise current to yield an SNR of 1. As calculated based on Equation (3), in the UVC region, the NEP for the bare Si-based photodetector was calculated to be as high as 1.49×10.sup.−13 and 1.40×10.sup.−13 W Hz.sup.−1/2 for 250 nm and 270 nm, respectively. By using the proposed colour-converting scheme with CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs layer 220, the NEP is reduced by more than a half-order of magnitude to 5.75×10.sup.−14 and 4.86×10.sup.−14 W Hz.sup.−1/2 for the same measurement wavelengths at 250 nm and 270 nm. By using the proposed colour-converting scheme, the lower NEP compared to that of the bare Si-based PD contributes to the lower noise floor and enhanced detectivity, particularly in the UVC wavelength region.
[0066] A comparison of the novel receiver's performance to various commercial and modified Si-based photodetectors is summarized in
[0067] To further investigate the photostability of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 for the UV-based communication link, the inventors performed a 24-h PL stress test in an ambient environment under intense UVC illumination. The gradual increase in the PL intensity in the first 3 h could be attributed to the evaporation of reduced solvents and the formation of additional emissive centres linked to the dynamics of CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs. In the subsequent 12 h, the PL intensity remained stable under ambient conditions. The photostability exceeds that of other untreated CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs, which degrade within a few hours. The reduction of the PL intensity after 16 h of intense continuous irradiation under a focused UVC light source is most likely due to the thermal degradation and photooxidation of lead atoms. The performance of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 could be further increased, for example, by coating of strongly hydrophobic silicone resin on perovskite-based NC thin films, which has been shown to improve the photostability and water resistance properties.
[0068] To investigate the potential application of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 to the UV-based communication link, the small-signal modulation bandwidth of the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NCs layer was measured using the configuration 1300 shown in
[0069] By sweeping the sinusoidal AC modulation signal, applied to the LD 1302 by the controller 1320, from 300 kHz to 3 GHz, as shown in
[0070] Apart from the enhanced responsivity relative to the Si-based PD 202, this enhanced bandwidth has great potential for integration with a high-speed Si-based PD targeted at the UVC communication link. By taking advantage of the short carrier recombination lifetime (˜ns), the demonstrated modulation bandwidth under UV excitation is significantly higher than that in the case of YAM:Eu.sup.3+-based (˜msec), Sr.sub.5(PO.sub.4).sub.3-x(BO.sub.3).sub.xCl:0.04Eu.sup.2+-based (˜μsec), and Ca.sub.8MgLu.sub.1-x(PO.sub.4).sub.7:xTb.sup.3+-based (˜msec) phosphors. In addition, the demonstrated high bandwidth of few tens of MHz is sufficiently higher than any other phosphor material, demonstrating its potential for high-speed data communication in UV-based applications while also fulfilling the requirements for IEEE 802.11a, b and g standard in the Mbps range.
[0071] The high modulation bandwidth demonstrated in the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 also surpasses those of other colloidal semiconductor NC-based photodetectors, e.g., CdSe quantum dots (˜50 kHz). Moreover, although some of the published studies have demonstrated a high modulation bandwidth of up to hundreds of megahertz, reduced absorption and a low PLQY in the UV region were also observed for those devices, which restricts the application of these materials in the UV communication field.
[0072] The inventors have also demonstrated that the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 can be used as a colour-converting luminescent material for Si-based PDs in the solar-blind UVC communication link by using the on-off keying (OOK) modulation scheme. In the OOK modulation, a pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) 2.sup.10−1 data format was sent to optically modulate the transmitter, where the 1s or 0s of the digital data were represented by the presence or absence of the carrier wave, respectively. The OOK modulation may be implemented in the processing device 208 illustrated in
[0073] At 6-V DC bias, the emitted light output power was measured to be approximately 0.8 mW. The distance between the UVC LED 1402 and the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 was 3.5 cm in this configuration, while the distance from the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 to the Si-based APD 202 was approximately 20 cm. Note that in this embodiment, the UVC LED 1402 was placed at the inlet port 710A. For comparison, the inventors also measured the BER achieved at different data rates in the case of the UV LED 1402 only, without the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 and the 500-nm long-pass filter 1410, as shown in
[0074] When the colour-converting CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220 was used, higher data rates of 34 Mbps and an SNR of 3.24 are achieved, as shown in
V.sub.out=P.sub.illuminance×R.sub.λ×G (4)
where V.sub.out is the output voltage, P.sub.illuminance is the power illuminating the APD, R.sub.λ is the responsivity of the Si-based APD at different wavelengths, and G is the transimpedance gain. By using a colour-converting luminescent material at the receiver end, [3] demonstrated an enhanced signal and optical gain compared to a communication link directly using a blue LED. However, in that work, a low absorption was observed in the UV wavelength region, which restricted the application of their material to a UV-based communication link.
[0075] The achieved data rates can be further improved by using a more complex modulation scheme (e.g., orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing), pre-equalization, bit loading, and power allocation. Moreover, with the improvement in the modulation bandwidth of the solar-blind UVC LED and realization of the UVC LD, a higher modulation bandwidth of up to hundreds of megahertz can be expected in the near future for receivers similar to those discussed herein.
[0076] The novel receivers 200 and 700 show a nearly three-fold improvement in the responsivity and an approximately 25% increase in the EQE. These receivers demonstrated that it is possible to use the hybrid CsPbBr.sub.3-silicon color convertor to achieve a large small-signal modulation bandwidth of 70.92 MHz and a high data rate of up to 34 Mbps in a solar-blind UVC communication link. This approach based on a composition-tunable perovskite-based phosphor exploits the feasibility of monolithic integration with low-cost and mature Si-based devices for high-speed UV photodetection. While the above discussion focused on the CsPbBr.sub.3 perovskite NC layer 220, it is possible to use other inorganic or organic materials for converting the UV light into visible light.
[0077] According to an embodiment illustrated in
[0078] The disclosed embodiments provide a method and system for data communication using UV light. It should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which are included in the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Further, in the detailed description of the embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed invention. However, one skilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may be practiced without such specific details.
[0079] Although the features and elements of the present embodiments are described in the embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements of the embodiments or in various combinations with or without other features and elements disclosed herein.
[0080] This written description uses examples of the subject matter disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the same, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims.
REFERENCES
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