Negative luminescence from mid-wave infrared HgCdTe diode arrays

A self-referencing, optical modulation technique was used to measure the negative luminescence efficiencies of an array of mid-wave infrared HgCdTe photodiodes with cutoff wavelength View the MathML source as a function of sample temperature. The internal efficiency at a wavelength of View the MathML source was 93% at View the MathML source, and nearly independent of temperature in the 240–View the MathML source range. This corresponds to an apparent temperature reduction View the MathML source at room temperature and View the MathML source at View the MathML source. Moreover, the reverse-bias saturation current density was only View the MathML source. The measured transmission and emission spectra were simulated using empirical HgCdTe absorption formulas from the literature.