Pulsed terahertz radiation from a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode biased into self-oscillation regime

Abstract

The study of the bolometer response to terahertz (THz) radiation from a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) biased into the negative differential conductivity region of the I–V characteristic revealed that the RTD emits two pulses in a period of intrinsic self-oscillations of current. The bolometer pulse repetition rate is a multiple of the fundamental frequency of the intrinsic self-oscillations of current. The bolometer pulses are detected at two critical points with a distance between them being half or one-third of a period of the current self-oscillations. An analysis of the current self-oscillations and the bolometer response has shown that the THz photon emission is excited when the tunneling electrons are trapped in (the first pulse) and then released from (the second pulse) miniband states.

Spacer layers’ thickness impact on the resonant-tunneling diode’s and frequency mixer’s operational parameters

“…In order to confirm results' adequacy we've studied other researches regarding this problem [4,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. In all listed papers the importance of spacer layers for ensuring high static and dynamic parameters of studied elements is mentioned.…”

“…Various authors tend to use different approach to RTDs' electrical parameters simulation, from relatively simple approach based on Tsu-Esaki equation and transfer matrix method [16][17] to using various additions like self-consistent calculation of RTHS' conduction band's profile, using Wigner's functions, and so on. Nonetheless, results of researches listed in [4,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] have the similar explanation of the emitter spacer's thickness impact on RTD's electrical parametersdue to the triangular quantum well forming in this layer under the bias voltage's influence, there's an overlap of allowed states between this quantum well and RTHS' one, resulting in the RTD's current growth or lowering it if there's no overlap between these states. In [19,30] forming of such quantum well by using materials with wider band gap than RTHS layers is described for AlAs/GaAs RTHS and Ga1-хInхAs emitter spacer.…”

“…In general, all listed papers give similar assessments of RTD peak current's changesfrom 0,25 to 4 times nominal value depending on emitter spacer's thickness. Regarding collector spacer thickness' impact on RTD's electrical parameters, authors of listed papers mention that this parameter has no significant impact on RTD's electrical parameters, slightly increasing the peak current's voltage with collector spacer's thickness growth [18,19,21,26,30].…”

Bistability of AlGaAs/GaAs Resonant-Tunneling Diodes Heterostructural Channel

“…The behavior of the RTS I-V curve in the NDC region can be explained as a manifestation of RTS bistability at near-peak voltages [ 25 ]. The essence of bistability is that the position of the peak point of the I-V curve at varying voltages depends on the sign of the voltage change, which leads to hysteresis [ 26 ].…”

“…Figure 2 shows the developed compact model (in contrast to the widely used cogeneration models) that makes it possible to qualitatively and quantitatively describe the mechanism of hysteresis formation in the NDC region (Figure 2). The behavior of the RTS I-V curve in the NDC region can be explained as a manifestation of RTS bistability at near-peak voltages [25]. The essence of bistability is that the position of the peak point of the I-V curve at varying voltages depends on the sign of the voltage change, which leads to hysteresis [26].…”