Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) make new material to absorb and control light with unprecedented accuracy
A new paper from researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo details the fabrication and application of a new material that can capture light and control the location of its absorption with unprecedented accuracy, advancing the development of next-generation photodetectors.
A hundred per cent light absorption is considered impossible but the Quantum Photonic Devices Lab group showed experimentally that this new material absorbed 94 per cent of the light in a spectral range known as the ‘Valley of Death’ where conventional photodetectors do not absorb light very well. This spectral range is of interest for biomedical and quantum applications. The experimental result was very close to the group’s 98 per cent theoretically predicted limit for this design.
We are leading globally at taking a crack at this; combining material science and semiconductor physics to demonstrate a near-perfect absorber. We are combining different disciplines to make a perfect absorber in semiconductors to create the next generation of photodetectors, and we are one of the world leaders in this effort.