GaAs Quantum Well Intersubband Absorption Tunneling Detectors Compatible with 10microns Optical Computing

We have achieved avalanche gain at a wavelength of 10.3microns in Al sub x Ga sub 1-x As/GaAs quantum well superlattices. The photoelectrons are generated by resonant intersubband absorption and tunneling, and then avalanche via hot electron impact ionization of carriers out of the quantum wells. Good agreement is obtained between a theoretical calculation of this process and our experiments.