Analysis of integrated quantum-well infrared photodetector and light-emitting diode for implementing pixelless imaging devices

The conversion of images into nonuniform distribution of the output current density in a multiple-quantum-well structure for an infrared pixelless imaging system is considered using an analytical device model. The nonuniform current, which reproduces the incident image, is converted back to a light-emitting diode emission image by the device considered here. The developed model takes into account transport processes responsible for the device operation. An explicit expression for the contrast transfer characteristic is derived as a function of the number of quantum wells (QWs) and the electron capture parameter. It is shown that the quality of the up-converted images (contrast and resolution) is improved with increasing number of QWs. The pixelless imaging devices under consideration can effectively convert long-wavelength infrared images into short-wavelength infrared or visible images with contrast transfer ratio close to unity.