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Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Characterization of Plasmonic Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
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Antenna Enhanced Graphene THz Emitter and Detector
Jiayue Tong1, Martin Muthee1, Shao-Yu Chen1
1†Department of Physics and ‡Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
Nano Letters
|July 29, 2015
Summary
Researchers developed graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) terahertz (THz) sources and detectors. This breakthrough demonstrates novel graphene THz radiation and significantly enhances detector performance for practical optoelectronic applications.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Electrical Engineering
Background:
- Graphene is a leading material in optoelectronics, particularly for the challenging terahertz (THz) frequency range.
- Efficient THz sources and sensitive detectors are crucial for advancing THz technologies.
- Existing technologies face limitations in performance and applicability within the THz spectrum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel THz sources and detectors using graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs).
- To enhance GFET performance with double-patch antennas and on-chip silicon lenses.
- To experimentally demonstrate and analyze graphene-based THz emission and detection.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of GFETs integrated with double-patch antennas and silicon lenses.
- Experimental generation and detection of terahertz radiation.
- Quantitative analysis of emitting power, charge density dependence, and noise contributions.
- Polarization-resolved detection measurements under varying illumination geometries.
Main Results:
- First experimental observation of 1-3 THz radiation emitted by graphene.
- Over 3 orders of magnitude performance improvement in a half-edge-contacted GFET thermoelectric detector at ~2 THz.
- Identification of significant nonthermal noise contributions from the GFET based on power analysis.
- Detailed quantitative analysis of detector performance factors through polarization-resolved measurements.
Conclusions:
- The developed GFETs represent a significant advancement in THz source and detector technology.
- The findings pave the way for practical graphene-based THz optoelectronic devices.
- The study highlights the potential of graphene for high-performance THz applications.
