Emission and detection of terahertz radiation using two dimensional plasmons in semiconductor nano-heterostructures for nondestructive evaluations

Abstract

This paper reviews recent advances in emission and detection of terahertz radiation using two dimensional (2D) plasmons in semiconductor nano-heterostructures for nondestructive evaluations. The 2D plasmon resonance is introduced as the operation principle for broadband emission and detection of terahertz radiation. The device structure is based on a high-electron mobility transistor and incorporates the authors' original asymmetrically interdigitated dualgrating gates. Excellent terahertz emission and detection performances are experimentally demonstrated by using InAlAs/InGaAs/InP and/or InGaP/InGaAs/GaAs heterostructure material systems. Their applications to nondestructive material evaluation based on terahertz imaging are also presented.

Terahertz Plasmonics: Good Results and Great Expectations

“…Only recently has the narrow emission line been reported in dual grating gate indium phosphide (InP) high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) at 140 K with asymmetrical resonant cavities for plasma waves (see Figure 8) [18]. Numerical analysis of dependence of the instability increment on asymmetric factor a (the ratio of the left-side space to the right-side space) suggests the possibility of roomtemperature operation by using a larger fraction on a values than the present design [24]. The typical power levels of the THz emission from ballistic or quasiballistic FETs were in the nanowatt range, but orders of magnitude improvements have been predicted for FET arrays [19].…”

“…Both resonant and nonresonant detection of THz radiation has been predicted [10] and observed in Si complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)transistors [20]- [22], Si "wrap-around" gate transistors (FINFETs) [23], aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs)/indium GaAs (InGaAs) [24] and aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN)/GaN HEMTs [25], and graphene [26], [27]. In the nonresonant detectors, the plasma waves are overdamped.…”

Ballistic injection terahertz plasma instability in graphene n+-i-n-n+ field-effect transistors and lateral diodes

“…The plasma instability and the related self-excitation of plasma oscillations in two dimensional (2D) structures can lead to the generation of the terahertz (THz) radiation [1]. This effect was reported in many theoretical and experimental papers [2][3][4][5] (see also the references therein). The 2D structures with the graphene channel (G-channel) have advantages compared with those based on the standard materials.…”