High speed quantum well optical detector

Abstract From the Canadian patent

High Speed Quantum Well Optical Detector Abstract, In response to ultrafast optical signal pulses it is now possible to, generate correspondingly ultrafast electrical signal pulses by employing semiconductor apparatus including at least one quantum well layer electrically biased by a static electric field. Optical signal pulses incident on the quantumwell are at a wavelength substantially less than the absorption edge of the quantum well layer or layers. In other words the incident optical pulses have amean photon energy less than the bandgap energy of the quantum well layer or layers. The electrical signal pulse generated subsists for a period of time substantially equal to the duration of …