Ultrafast voltage-tunable detectors for Terahertz radiation operating above 100K

Abstract

Collective vibrations of proteins, rotations of small molecules, excitations of high-temperature superconductors, and electronic transitions in semiconductor nanostructures occur with characteristic frequencies between 1 and 10 THz. Applications to medicine, communications, security and other fields are emerging. However, mapping the coldest parts of the universe has been the largest driver for developing THz detectors. The result is a family of exquisitely-sensitive detectors requiring sub-4K temperatures. For earthbound THz science and technology, sensitivity remains important but many applications require high speed and operating temperatures. Room-temperature Schottky diodes enable some of these applications. Here we demonstrate a new type of detector in which THz radiation excites a collective oscillation of ~25,000 electrons between two gates in a microscopic four terminal transistor. The energy dissipates into other modes of the electron gas, warming it and changing the source-drain resistance. The detector shows amplifier-limited rise times near 1 ns and has detected THz laser radiation at temperatures up to 120K. The frequency of the collective oscillation tunes with small gate voltages. The first-generation tunable antenna-coupled intersubband Terahertz (TACIT) detectors tune between 1.5 and 2 THz with voltages <2V.