Two-color corrugated quantum-well infrared photodetector for remote temperature sensing

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Abstract
A quantum-well infrared photodetector(QWIP) based on the corrugated light-coupling scheme has been fabricated and tested for remote temperature sensing. The QWIP consists of two stacks of multiple quantum wells(MQWs), each sensitive in one of the atmospheric infrared transmission windows and each with a separate readout circuit. High optical coupling efficiency is obtained in both wavelength ranges, demonstrating the use of the corrugated structure for two-color detection. By monitoring the ratio of the photocurrent generated simultaneously in each MQW stack, the temperature of the object emitting the radiation can be determined, regardless of its emissivity and the geometrical factors. This temperature sensing ability is tested by using a blackbody radiator with precision temperature control as the target. The agreement between the measured and the preset temperatures indicates that the corrugated QWIP is capable of precision thermometric measurements.