Monte Carlo Modeling of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Detectors

We demonstrate an Ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) modeling approach for robust and rigorous simulations of photovoltaic quantum cascade detectors (QCDs) in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) and terahertz (THz) range. The existing EMC simulation tool for quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) was extended to simulate the photovoltaic transport effects in QCDs at thermal equilibrium under zero bias. Here, we present the results of the EMC study of a THz detector design with a detection wavelength of 84μm. The simulation results show good agreement with experimental data. For a temperature of 10 K we obtain a peak responsivity of 9.4 mA/W.