Patent ID: 8835851

Claim:
A plasmonic detector device comprising: a photon detector element comprising an absorption region disposed between a first doped contact layer and a second doped contact layer; optionally, none or at least one of a dielectric film disposed on the first doped contact layer; and a metal film over the first doped contact layer, wherein the metal film, the at least one dielectric film if present, the first and second doped contact layers, the absorption region and other layers of the detector support at least one surface plasma wave that propagates substantially parallel to a surface of the metal film that is closest to the absorption region, wherein at least one of the first doped contact layer, the metal film and the at least one dielectric film if present, comprise a periodic structure to provide coupling between incident radiation and the at least one surface plasma wave, and wherein the absorption region of the detector element is within a lateral extent of the surface plasma wave.