QUANTUM MECHANICAL MOSFET INFRARED RADIATION DETECTOR

Quantum mechanical method and apparatus for detecting and modulating electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range of from about 5 to about 50 mu . A potential difference (gate voltage) is impressed across a channel formed in a siliconsilicon dioxide MOS assembly. The magnitude of the gate voltage is used to adjust the energy levels of the electrons in the channel and when resonant photons are introduced into the channel there occurs photoresistance along the channel, the magnitude of which is a function of the number of resonant photons entering the channel. The photoresistive effects are the result of the interaction between the quantized electrons in the channel and photons in the radiation introduced into the channel. The device may be voltage-tunable over the wavelength range and may be used as a detector set to sense radiation of a given wavelength or as a multispectral rapid scanning device. When a gate voltage is used to maximize the photoresistive effect for radiation of a given wavelength, the radiation may be amplitude modulated by superimposing a small auxiliary ac gate voltage on the dc gate voltage to periodically reduce the photoresistive effect, thus alternately absorbing and transmitting radiation.