Quantum well infrared detector

PCT No. PCT/FR93/00060 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 22, 1994 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 22, 1994 PCT Filed Jan. 21, 1993 PCT Pub. No. W093/15525 PCT Pub. Date Aug. 5, 1993.The semiconductor component, comprises a succession of alternating stacked layers of a III-V semiconductor material with a large forbidden band such as AlxGa1-xAs and a III-V semiconductor material with a small forbidden band such as GaAs with p-doping, defining a quantum (9) with sub-bands of HH and LH type in the region of the layer comprising the material with a small forbidden band in the valence band diagram (Ev) of each corresponding heterostructure. According to the invention, the thickness of the material with a small forbidden band is essentially selected in such a manner that only two quantum sub-levels LH1 and HH1 appear in the well, and the energy difference between these two sub-levels corresponds to the energy of the photons (6) to be detected, and the composition of the material with the large forbidden band is essentially selected in such a manner that the height adjacent the barrier ( DELTA Ev) of the quantum well is equal to or greater than the energy of the LH1 sub-band.