Title: Development of High-Performance Graphene-PbSe Detector Technology for Mid-wave Infrared Applications
Presenting Author: John Zeller
Organization: Magnolia Optical Technologies, Inc.
Co-Author(s): Ashok Sood Magnolia Optical Technologies, 52-B Cummings Park, Suite 314, Woburn, MA; Parminder Ghuman and Sachidananda Babu NASA Earth Science Technology Office, Greenbelt, MD; Nibir K. Dhar U.S. Army Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate, Fort Belvoir, VA; Samiran Ganguly and Avik Ghosh Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 

Abstract:
High performance detector technology is being developed for sensing over the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) band for NASA Earth Science, defense, and commercial applications. The graphene-based PbSe detector technology involves the integration of graphene into PbSe photodetectors that combines the best of both materials, and allows for higher MWIR (2-5 ?m) detection performance compared photodetectors using only PbSe material. The interfacial barriers between the PbSe-based absorber and the graphene act as a tunable rectifier that reduces the recombination of photogenerated carriers in the detector. The graphene layer also acts as high mobility channel that whisks away carriers before they recombine, further enhancing detection performance. Likewise, PbSe has shown promise for the development of MWIR detectors with improvements in carrier mobility and lifetime. The room temperature operational capability of PbSe-based detectors and arrays can provide significantly reduced size, weight, power and cost. This makes them much more practical and useful for MWIR sensing applications such as remote sensing and earth observation, e.g., in smaller satellite platforms (CubeSat) for measurement of thermal dynamics with better spatial resolution. The objective of this work is to demonstrate graphene-based PbSe room temperature MWIR detectors and arrays through modeling, material development, and device optimization. The primary driver for this technology development is the enablement of a scalable, low cost, low power, and small footprint infrared technology component that offers high performance, while opening doors for new earth observation measurement capabilities.