Modeling of Noise and Resistance of Semimetal Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te Quantum Well used as a Channel for THz Hot-Electron Bolometer

Noise characteristics and resistance of semimetal-type mercury-cadmium-telluride quantum wells (QWs) at the liquid nitrogen temperature are studied numerically, and their dependence on the QW parameters and on the electron concentration is established. The QW band structure calculations are based on the full 8-band k.p Hamiltonian. The electron mobility is simulated by the direct iterative solution of the Boltzmann transport equation, which allows us to include correctly all the principal scattering mechanisms, elastic as well as inelastic. We find that the generation-recombination noise is strongly suppressed due to the very fast recombination processes in semimetal QWs. Hence, the thermal noise should be considered as a main THz sensitivity-limiting mechanism in those structures. Optimization of a semimetal Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te QW to make it an efficient THz bolometer channel should include the increase of electron concentration in the well and tuning the molar composition x close to the gapless regime.