Abstract:
An apparatus (201) comprises a light emitter (202) and a photodetector (203) formed on a single fluid-permeable substrate (206) such that the photodetector (203) is able to detect light emitted by the light emitter (202) after interaction of the light with a user of the apparatus (201). The photodetector comprises a channel member (207) which may be made from graphene, respective source and drain electrodes (208, 209), a layer of photosensitive material (210) configured to vary the flow of electrical current through the channel member (207) on exposure to light from the light emitter (202), and a gate electrode (211). The apparatus (201) further comprises a layer of fluid-impermeable dielectric material (212) configured to inhibit a flow of electrical current between the channel member (207) and the gate electrode (211) of the photodetector (203) to enable the electrical conductance of the channel member (207) to be controlled by a voltage applied to the gate electrode (211) and to inhibit exposure of the light emitter (202) to fluid which has permeated through the fluid-permeable substrate (206). The layer of fluid-impermeable dielectric material (212) allows resilient substrates made from polymeric material to be used without the risk of damage to the overlying components caused by the permeated fluid. The dual functionality of the layer of fluid-impermeable dielectric material (212) reduces the number of fabrication steps used to form the apparatus (201) and results in a thinner, more compact device.
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising a stack formed from outer first and second electrode layers and an intermediate third electrode layer, with a memristive layer positioned between the outer first and intermediate third electrode layers and a photoactive layer positioned between the outer second and intermediate third electrode layers, wherein the outer first and second electrode layers are connected to a power supply to enable the application of a voltage to the memristive layer to change its resistance when the photoactive layer is exposed to incident electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the outer first and intermediate third electrode layers are connected to a readout circuit to enable the resistance of the memristive layer to be determined, the resistance of the memristive layer providing an indication of one or more of the presence and magnitude of the incident electromagnetic radiation.
Abstract:
A photodetector (400) has a two dimensional conductive channel (302, 408) with source and drain electrodes (404) configured to enable a flow of electrical current through the two dimensional conductive channel (302, 408); and a quantum dot layer (304, 406) overlying the two dimensional conductive channel (302, 408), the quantum dot layer (304, 406) configured to generate charge on exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation (310), the generated charge producing an electric field which causes a change in electrical current passing through the underlying two dimensional conductive channel (302, 408), the change in electrical current being indicative of one or more of the presence and magnitude of the incident electromagnetic radiation (310); wherein the quantum dot layer (304, 406) is configured to have an incident electromagnetic radiation surface (312) which has a texturing comprising undulations in the surface to provide a surface roughness with an average peak amplitude (308) of the order of between 10nm and 300nm. The surface texture increases the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed in the quantum dot layer (304, 406) in comparison to a photodetector having a flat (non-textured) incident electromagnetic radiation surface.
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising a detection circuit and an associated reference circuit, each circuit comprising a power source coupled to a memristor via a resistive sensor, the power source configured to apply a voltage to the memristor to switch the memristor from a first resistance state to a second resistance state when the resistive sensor is exposed to a physical stimulus, wherein the power source of the detection circuit is configured to have a discharge rate which is dependent upon the physical stimulus whilst the power source of the associated reference circuit is configured to have a discharge rate which is not dependent upon the physical stimulus, the resulting difference in discharge rates between the respective power sources allowing the timing of the physical stimulus to be determined based on whether or not the respective memristors of the detection and associated reference circuits have both switched.
Abstract:
An apparatus, method and computer program wherein the apparatuscomprises:a plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors;circuitry configured to provide an individual drain-source bias voltage to each of a plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors, wherein different individual drain-source bias voltages have different parameters, to enable the plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors to detect light from a user of an apparatus; andcircuitry configured to obtain output signals from each of a plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors where the output signal is dependent upon both the light detected by the quantum dot-graphene field effect transistor and the parameters of the drain-source bias voltage to enable the obtained output signals to be used as a scrambled identification signal of the user of the apparatus.
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising: a primary sensor and one or more secondary sensors; a memristor; and a power supply, wherein the primary sensor and one or more secondary sensors are configured to sense different physical stimuli when connected to a power supply, and wherein the primary sensor and one or more secondary sensors are coupled to the memristor such that exposure of the primary sensor to its respective stimulus causes the memristor to switch from a high resistance state to a low resistance state resulting in connection of the power supply to the one or more secondary sensors to enable the sensing of their respective stimuli.
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising a rechargeable power source coupled to a memristor via a resistive sensor, the rechargeable power source configured to apply a voltage to the memristor to switch the memristor from a first resistance state to a second resistance state when the resistive sensor is exposed to a physical stimulus, the apparatus further comprising an optical indicator configured to provide an optical indication of the resistance state of the memristor and thus one or more of the presence and magnitude of the physical stimulus, and a voltage enabler configured to enable application of a voltage to the optical indicator to enable said optical indication when sensor readout is required, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the voltage applied to the optical indicator also allows recharging of the rechargeable power source.
Abstract:
An apparatus, method and computer program wherein the apparatus comprises: a plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors; circuitry configured to provide an individual drain-source bias voltage to each of a plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors, wherein different individual drain-source bias voltages have different parameters, to enable the plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors to detect light from a user of an apparatus; and circuitry configured to obtain output signals from each of a plurality of quantum dot-graphene field effect transistors where the output signal is dependent upon both the light detected by the quantum dot-graphene field effect transistor and the parameters of the drain-source bias voltage to enable the obtained output signals to be used as a scrambled identification signal of the user of the apparatus.