Multiband photoconductive detector based on layered semiconductor quantum wells

摘要

A multiband photoconductive detector and method for simultaneously and separately detecting and distinguishing light or radiation from a large number of different wavelength bands is disclosed. The multiband photoconductive detector comprises a plurality of low energy gap semiconductor layers of preselected progressively decreasing thicknesses of a first material, a plurality of high energy gap semiconductor layers of a second material interleaved with the plurality of low energy gap semiconductor layers, and a plurality of pairs of electrical contacts respectively applied to the plurality of low energy gap semiconductor layers and adapted to respectively receive associated bias voltages to enable the plurality of low energy gap semiconductor layers to constitute a corresponding plurality of separate photoconductive detectors with a preselected plurality of different wavelength bands.