SINGLE-PHOTON QUANTUM BOLOMETER Russian patent published in 2024 - IPC G01J5/20 H01L31/09 H01L27/14 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to devices for detecting separate photons of infrared and terahertz ranges and can be used in long-distance optical fibre communication systems, telecommunication technologies, in integrated optics and nanophotonics systems, in systems for protecting transmitted information using quantum cryptography systems, in single molecule spectroscopy, research of quantum-dimensional nanocrystals and nanostructures, astronomy, biomedicine. A single-photon quantum bolometer has a substrate, contact pads placed on it, and a sensitive element between them is made in certain conditions of the structure and mode of use. Contact pads are made with a gap between them ~10 nm. Sensitive element is made as a nanocrystal of a narrow-gap semiconductor in the mode of single-electron emission-tunnelling transport with quantum-wave resonance, which manifests itself in the form of a separate resonant current peak, obtained when applying voltage pulses between contact pads with value V_r, width at base ΔV and duration specified in accordance with the formula: t ~ 10^-2(λ/a_n)²(m/m₀)^-1 ΔV/V_r, where λ is the radiation wavelength of received photons in microns, a_n is the nanocrystal size in nanometres, m/m₀ is the nanocrystal semiconductor effective mass and the electron “rest” mass. Nanocrystal size values are estimated by formula a_n ~ (2.7V₀m/m₀)^-1/2, where V₀ is voltage at the point of maximum resonance peak on static current-voltage characteristic.

EFFECT: high energy sensitivity, simple structure and technology of formation.

1 cl, 3 dwg