Infrared Responsivity of a Pyroelectric Detector with a Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Coating

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Applied Optics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.47.003999· OSTI ID:1022330

Theocharous, E; Engtrakul, C; Dillon, A C; Lehman, J

The performance of a 10 mm diameter pyroelectric detector coated with a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) was evaluated in the 0.8 to 20 {micro}m wavelength range. The relative spectral responsivity of this detector exhibits significant fluctuations over the wavelength range examined. This is consistent with independent absorbance measurements, which show that SWCNTs exhibit selective absorption bands in the visible and near-infrared. The performance of the detector in terms of noise equivalent power and detectivity in wavelength regions of high coating absorptivity was comparable with gold-black-coated pyroelectric detectors based on 50 {micro}m thick LiTaO{sub 3} crystals. The response of this detector was shown to be nonlinear for DC equivalent photocurrents >10{sup -9} A, and its spatial uniformity of response was comparable with other pyroelectric detectors utilizing gold-black coatings. The nonuniform spectral responsivity exhibited by the SWCNT-coated detector is expected to severely restrict the use of SWCNTs as black coatings for thermal detectors. However, the deposition of SWCNT coatings on a pyroelectric crystal followed by the study of the prominence of the spectral features in the relative spectral responsivity of the resultant pyroelectric detectors is shown to provide an effective method for quantifying the impurity content in SWCNT samples.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1022330
• Journal Information: Applied Optics, Journal Name: Applied Optics Journal Issue: 22, 1 August 2008 Vol. 47; ISSN 0003-6935; ISSN APOPAI
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTIVITY
BLACK COATINGS
CARBON
COATINGS
Computational Sciences
DEPOSITION
FLUCTUATIONS
Materials Science and Semiconductors
NANOTUBES
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOCURRENTS
PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS
WAVELENGTHS