Researchers develop ultrafast semiconductors

Phys.org  July 8, 2019 An international team of researchers (UK, UCLA) designed an ultrafast and highly sensitive ‘avalanche photodiode’ (APD) that creates less electronic ‘noise’ than its silicon rivals. They combined four different atoms requiring a new molecular beam epitaxy methodology to “grow” the compound semiconductor crystal in an atom-by-atom regime. High sensitivity avalanche photodiodes have the potential to yield a new class of high-performance receivers for applications in networking and sensing. They have applications in LIDAR, or 3-D laser mapping, used to produce high-resolution maps, with applications in geomorphology, seismology and in the control and navigation of some autonomous […]