Enhanced MWIR absorption of HgCdTe (MCT) via plasmonic metal oxide nanostructures

Abstract

Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) is the premier active material used in infrared (IR) detection technology. The most recent work related to the improvement of MCT-based detectors is associated with reducing the s/n ratio, and increasing the operating temperature without compromising performance. However, little has been done in manipulating the Electric field intensity near the absorber region of the device. Our numerical studies show that the absorption profile of MCT in the mid-infrared can be enhanced by integrating metal oxide nanostructures. This work may improve the dynamic range and sensitivity of infrared detectors capable of operating in multiple detection windows.