The world’s first quantum cascade photodetector which boasts a cut-off frequency of 20 GHz with no cooling, is now available.Sales of this new photodetector begin October 1, 2021.

2021/09/28

QCD with 20 GHz cut-off frequency

QCD with 20 GHz cut-off frequency

Hamamatsu Photonics has succeeded in producing the world’s first quantum cascade photodetector (QCD), the P16309-01. This new QCD has sensitivity to mid-infrared light gained by harnessing a quantum structure design technology and circuit design expertise we have accumulated through the development of quantum cascade lasers (QCL)*1. This new QCD also delivers a cut-off frequency*2 of 20 gigahertz (GHz), the world’s highest response time of any mid-infrared photodetectors operating at room temperature, currently available in the market. Using this new QCD as a photodetector for analytical instruments will now allow the measurement of chemical reactions such as combustion and explosion in the order of picoseconds or ps (a picosecond is one-trillionth of a second). This therefore performs analysis at extremely short time intervals, which has been impossible until now. Other promising applications include high-speed, large-capacity spatial communications and long-range LiDAR.

Sales of this new QCD will start on Friday, October 1, 2021 to research institutes, analytical instrument manufacturers, telecommunications carriers and shipping and conveyor equipment manufacturers, and more.

*1: QCL: A semiconductor laser using a special quantum structure in the light-emitting layer that produces high-power light in the mid-to-far infrared region.
*2: Cut-off frequency: This is the response speed limit of a photodetector and is expressed as the number of times that a single is detected per second.