Terahertz Detection with Graphene FETs: Photothermoelectric and Resistive Self-Mixing Contributions to the Detector Response

Abstract

Field-effect transistors coupled to integrated antennas [terahertz field-effect transistors (TeraFETs)] are photodetectors being actively developed for the terahertz (THz) frequency range (∼100 GHz–10 THz). Among them, graphene TeraFETs (G-TeraFETs) have demonstrated distinctive photoresponse features compared to those made from elementary semiconductors. For instance, previous studies have shown that the G-TeraFETs exhibit a THz response that comprises two components: the resistive self-mixing (RSM) and photothermoelectric effect (PTE). The RSM and PTE arise from carrier density oscillations and carrier heating, respectively. In this work, we confirm that the photoresponse can be considered a combination of RSM and PTE, with PTE being the dominant rectification mechanism at higher frequencies. For our chemical vapor deposited (CVD) G-TeraFETs with asymmetric antenna coupling, the PTE response dominates over the RSM at frequencies above 100 GHz. We find that the relative contribution of the RSM and PTE to the photoresponse is strongly frequency-dependent. Electromagnetic wave simulations show that this behavior is due to the relative change in the total dissipated power between the gated and ungated channel regions of the G-TeraFET as the frequency increases. The simulations also indicate that the channel length over which the PTE contributes to the photoresponse below the gate electrode is approximately the same as the electronic cooling length. Finally, we identify a PTE contribution that can be attributed to the contact doping effect in graphene close to the metal contacts. Our detectors achieve a minimum optical noise-equivalent power of 101 (114) pW/√Hz for asymmetric (symmetric) THz antenna coupling conditions at 400 GHz. This work demonstrates how the PTE response can be used to optimize the THz responsivity of the G-TeraFETs.