HgCdTe photodetectors with negative luminescent efficiencies > 80%

We have characterized the negative luminescent properties of photovoltaic H gCdTe detector structures with a room-temperature cutoff of 4.2 mum. Using an optical modulation method to directly measure the emittance as a functio n of applied bias and temperature, the blackbody signal at 295 K is found t o be suppressed by a factor of 5.6. The negative luminescence efficiency of 82% and the apparent blackbody temperature change of approximate to -35 K are nearly independent of heatsink temperature over the range 265-305 K. (C ) 2001 American Institute of Physics.