Three-Layer Detection Pixel of Single-Photon Thermoelectric Detector Based on Rare-Earth Hexaborides

Abstract

The results of computer simulation of heat propagation processes in the three-layer detection pixel of single-photon thermoelectric detector after the absorption of single photons with the energies 0.5–4.13 eV are presented. The various geometries of the detection pixel consisting of rareearth hexaborides are considered. The lanthanum hexaboride (LaB₆) is chosen as the absorber material, and for the materials of thermoelectric sensor the cerium (CeB₆) and lanthanum–cerium (La_0.99Ce_0.01) B6 hexaborides are chosen. The problem is solved to achieve the high system efficiency of thermoelectric detector for the detection of photons in the wavelength range from the UV to the near IR. The computer modeling was carried out based on the equation of heat propagation from the limited volume with the use of three-dimensional matrix method for differential equations. It is shown that a single-photon thermoelectric detector with a three-layer detection pixel made only of hexaborides will have the gigahertz count rate, high-energy resolution, and detection efficiency exceeding 90%. Taking into account the advantages of the three-layer detection pixel compared to the single-layer it can be argued that the three-layer detection pixel of the thermoelectric detector has the great prospects to solve a number of single-photon detection tasks.