Plasmonic nanorods for enhanced absorption in mid-wavelength infrared detectors

The absorption properties of HgCdTe-based infrared detectors can be greatly increased in the mid-infrared band, by incorporating nanostructured plasmonic arrays on the illuminated detector face. The array periodicity, combined with the excitation of surface plasmon-polariton stationary modes, enhances the absorption efficiency by a substantial amount, allowing to reduce in turn the HgCdTe absorption thickness.