Quantum-well infrared photodetectors

Abstract

The extensive literature on quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) is reviewed. A detailed discussion is given on the device physics of the intersubband absorption and hot-carrier transport processes for individual detectors, as well as the high performance which has been achieved for large staring arrays. QWIPs having widely different structures, materials, and spectral responses are covered, as is the optimization of the quantum-well parameters for maximum performance.