A Bowtie Antenna Coupled Tunable Photon-Assisted Tunneling Double Quantum Well (DQW) THz Detector

Abstract

The integration of a bowtie antenna with a double electron layer tunneling transistor (DELTT) device for the purposes of THz detection is investigated in this paper. The concept of THz detection, based on photon-assisted tunneling (PAT) between the two electron layers in a double quantum well (DQW) heterostructure, will be explained. The detector is expected to have narrowband, electrically tunable, fast response, and the possibility to operate at relatively high temperatures. Since the active area of the detector is very small, which is necessary to achieve fast response, it is not efficient in collecting THz radiation. Therefore, a broadband bowtie antenna is integrated with the detector to efficiently collect the THz radiation. Characteristics of different bowtie antenna geometries at THz frequencies were studied. An equivalent circuit model of the THz detector was developed, for the first time, to estimate the impedance characteristics at THz frequencies. Such a model is crucial for achieving impedance matching between the DELTT and the antenna to increase the overall coupling efficiency.

Charge carrier dynamics of GaAs/AlGaAs asymmetric double quantum wells at room temperature studied by optical pump terahertz probe spectroscopy

“…Owing to the ease in tuning the intraband and interband levels by a simple choice of well widths and applied bias, the ADQW is widely used for THz emission and detection devices. [11][12][13] Current ADQW-based devices still operate at low temperatures and continuous work is underway to increase the device operating temperature. [14][15][16] Meanwhile, room temperature investigations of tunneling in QWs are limited.…”

SIMULATION OF CARBON NANOTUBE THz ANTENNA ARRAYS

“…[1] [2] There are several antennas for THz radiation at present, e.g., bow-tie dipole antenna, [3] corner reflector antenna, [ 4] dielectric lens antenna , [5] planar antenna and so on. [6] Multi-walled carbon nanotubes' polarization effect and length effect with visible light have been confirmed by the experiment.…”