UCLA

State-of-art short wave infrared hyperspectral cameras use filters for sorting photons which lead to ineffective use of incoming light and/or longer recording time. This work proposes a hyperspectral camera design that eliminates the need of a filtering layer and promises over 50% reduction in pixel size. The significant size reduction is attributed from the use of surface plasmon resonances, which enhances optical collection area and enables photon sorting below the diffraction limited spot size unlike conventional methods. Absorbed photons are then guided into nanowire absorbers. Compared to planar absorbers, a nanowire absorber allows three-dimensional absorption volume, while at the same time reduces capacitance and lowers the dark current. The performance of the designed structure is modeled, showing selective absorption at 1050, 1250, and 1550 nm for short wave infrared applications.