Room-temperature waveguide-integrated photodetector using bolometric effect for mid-infrared spectroscopy applications

Joonsup Shim; Jinha Lim; Inki Kim; Jaeyong Jeong; Bong Ho Kim; Seong Kwang Kim; Dae-Myeong Geum; SangHyeon Kim

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01803-3

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Room-temperature waveguide-integrated photodetector using bolometric effect for mid-infrared spectroscopy applications

Original Articles

- Room-temperature waveguide-integrated photodetector using bolometric effect for mid-infrared spectroscopy applications
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 5, Pages: 1300-1311(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.School of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
  2.Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Inha University, 100, Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
- Author bio：
  
  SangHyeon Kim (shkim.ee@kaist.ac.kr)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01803-3
  CLC：
- Received：22 June 2024，
  
  Revised：06 February 2025，
  
  Accepted：26 February 2025，
  
  Published Online：19 March 2025，
  
  Published：31 May 2025
- Accepted：
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Shim, J. et al. Room-temperature waveguide-integrated photodetector using bolometric effect for mid-infrared spectroscopy applications. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 1300-1311 (2025).
DOI：

Shim, J. et al. Room-temperature waveguide-integrated photodetector using bolometric effect for mid-infrared spectroscopy applications. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 1300-1311 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01803-3.

摘要

Abstract

Waveguide-

integrated mid-infrared (MIR) photodetectors are pivotal components for the development of molecular spectroscopy applications

leveraging mature photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technologies. Despite various strategies

critical challenges still remain in achieving broadband photoresponse

cooling-free operation

and large-scale complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible manufacturability. To leap beyond these limitations

the bolometric effect – a thermal detection mechanism – is introduced into the waveguide platform. More importantly

we pursue a free-carrier absorption (FCA) process in germanium (Ge) to create an efficient light-absorbing medium

providing a pragmatic solution for full coverage of the MIR spectrum without incorporating exotic materials into CMOS. Here

we present an uncooled waveguide-integrated photodetector based on a Ge-on-insulator (Ge-OI) PIC architecture

which exploits the bolometric effect combined with FCA. Notably

our device exhibits a broadband responsivity of 28.35%/mW across 4030–4360 nm (and potentially beyond)

challenging the state of the art

while achieving a noise-equivalent power of 4.03 × 10

−7

W/Hz

0.5

at 4180 nm. We further demonstrate label-free sensing of gaseous carbon dioxide (CO

) using our integrated photodetector and sensing waveguide on a single chip. This approach to room-temperature waveguide-integrated MIR photodetection

harnessing bolometry with FCA in Ge

not only facilitates the realization of fully integrated lab-on-a-chip systems with wavelength flexibility but also provides a blueprint for MIR PICs with CMOS-foundry-compatibility.

关键词

Keywords

references

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