Plasmonic terahertz detection by a double-grating gate field-effect transistor structure with an asymmetric unit cell is studied theoretically. Detection responsivity exceeding 8 kV/W at room temperature in the photovoltaic response mode is predicted for strong asymmetry of the structure unit cell. This value of the responsivity is an order of magnitude greater than reported previously for the other types of uncooled plasmonic terahertz detectors. Such enormous responsivity can be obtained without using any supplementary antenna elements because the double-grating gate acts as an aerial matched antenna that effectively couples the incoming terahertz radiation to plasma oscillations in the structure channel.
We present a simple design to achieve bianisotropy at visible wavelengths: an ultrathin plasmonic grating made of a gold grating covered by a thin flat layer of gold. We show experimentally and through simulations that the grating exhibits magneto-electric coupling and features asymmetric reflection and absorption, all that with a device thickness of a tenth of the operating wavelength. We compared the spectral results and retrieved the effective material parameters of different polarizations and devices. We show that both asymmetry and strong coupling between the incoming light and the optica…
We develop a theory of the helicity driven nolinear dc response of gated two-dimensional electron gas to the terahertz radiation. We demonstrate that the helicity-sensitive part of the response dramatically increases in the vicinity of the plasmonic resonances and oscillates with the phase shift between excitation signals on the source and drain. The resonance line shape is an asymmetric function of the frequency deviation from the resonance. In contrast, the helicity-insensitive part of the response is symmetrical. These properties yield significant advantage for using plasmonic detectors as …
We demonstrate that phase-difference between terahertz signals on the source and drain of a field effect transistor (a TeraFET) induces a plasmon-assisted dc current, which is dramatically enhanced in vicinity of plasmonic resonances. We describe a TeraFET operation with identical amplitudes of radiation on source and drain antennas but with a phase-shift-induced asymmetry. In this regime, the TeraFET operates as a tunable resonant polarization-sensitive plasmonic spectrometer operating in the sub-terahertz and terahertz range of frequencies. We also propose an effective scheme of a phase-sens…
We introduce and theoretically study the plasmon-photogalvanic effect in the planar noncentrosymmetric plasmonic crystal containing a homogeneous two-dimensional electron system gated by a periodic metal grating with an asymmetric unit cell. The plasmon-photogalvanic DC current arises due to the two-dimensional electron drag by the noncentrosymmetric plasmon modes excited under normal incidence of terahertz radiation. We show that the collective plasmon modes of the planar plasmonic crystal become strongly noncentrosymmetric in the weak coupling regime of their anticrossing. Large plasmon wave…
We propose and discuss terahertz electro-absorption modulators based on graphene plasmonic structures. The active device consists of a self-gated pair of graphene layers, which are patterned to structures supporting THz plasmonic resonances. These structures allow for efficient control of the effective THz optical conductivity, thus absorption, even at frequencies much higher than the Drude roll-off in graphene where most previously proposed graphene-based devices become inefficient. Our analysis shows that reflectance-based device configurations, engineered so that the electric field is enhan…
Plasmon resonance is expected to occur in metallic and doped semiconducting carbon nanotubes in the terahertz frequency range, but its convincing identification has so far been elusive. The origin of the terahertz conductivity peak commonly observed for carbon nanotube ensembles remains controversial. Here we present results of optical, terahertz, and DC transport measurements on highly enriched metallic and semiconducting nanotube films. A broad and strong terahertz conductivity peak appears in both types of films, whose behaviors are consistent with the plasmon resonance explanation, firmly …
We use coupled-mode theory to describe the scattering of a surface-plasmon polariton (SPP) from a square wave grating (Bragg grating) of finite extension written on the surface of either a metal-dielectric interface or a dielectric-dielectric interface covered with a patterned graphene sheet. We find analytical solutions for the reflectance and transmittance of SPP's when only two modes (forward- and back-scattered) are considered. We show that in both cases the reflectance spectrum presents stop-bands where the SPP is completely back-scattered, if the grating is not too shallow. In addition, …
Phase- and angle-sensitive terahertz hot-electron bolometric plasmonic detectors based on FETs with graphene channel and composite h-BN/black-P/h-BN gate layer
We report on the observation of a radiation helicity sensitive photocurrent excited by terahertz (THz) radiation in dual-grating-gate (DGG) InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs/InP high electron mobility transistors (HEMT). For a circular polarization the current measured between source and drain contacts changes its sign with the inversion of the radiation helicity. For elliptically polarized radiation the total current is described by superposition of the Stokes parameters with different weights. Moreover, by variation of gate voltages applied to individual gratings the photocurrent can be defined either by…
We have fabricated a grating-gate InGaAs/GaAs field-effect transistor structure with narrow slits between the grating gate fingers. The resonant photoconductive response of this structure has been measured in the sub-terahertz frequency range. The frequencies of the photoresponse peaks correspond to the excitation of the plasmon resonances in the structure channel. The obtained responsivity exceeds the responsivity reported previously for similar plasmonic terahertz detectors by two orders of magnitude due to enhanced coupling between incoming terahertz radiation and plasmon oscillations in th…
We identify a possible mechanism of the plasmon instabilities in periodically gated two-dimensional electron systems with a modulated electron density (plasmonic crystals) under direct current. The instability occurs due to the amplified reflection of the small density perturbations from the gated/ungated boundaries under the proper phase matching conditions between the crystal unit cells. Based on the transfer-matrix formalism, we derive the generic dispersion equation for the travelling plasmons in these structures. Its solution in the hydrodynamic limit shows that the threshold drift veloci…
The modified rigorous coupled-wave analysis technique is developed to describe the optical characteristics of the plasmonic structures with the grating-gated delta-thin conductive channel in the far- and near-field zones of electromagnetic waves. The technique was applied for analysis of the resonant properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures combined with deeply-subwavelength metallic grating which facilitates the excitation of the two-dimensional plasmons in the THz frequency range. The convergence of the calculations at the frequencies near the plasmon resonances is discussed. The impact of t…
We propose and analyze the terahertz (THz) detectors based on a gated graphene p-i-n (GPIN) field-effect transistor (FET) structure. The reverse-biased i-region between the gates plays the role of the electrons and holes injectors exhibiting nonlinear $I-V$ characteristics due to the Zener-Klein tunneling. This region enables the THz signal rectification, which provides their detection. The gated regions serve as the electron and hole reservoirs and the THz resonant plasma cavities. The resonant excitation of the electron and hole plasmonic oscillations results in a substantial increase in the…
We have developed theory for the interaction of THz radiation with a sub-wavelength metallic grating. The structure of electric fields of the electromagnetic wave under the metallic grating has been studied in the near-field zone. Spatial distributions of the electric field components and the electric energy density have been obtained for the transmitted wave through the grating. An effect of strong local enhancement of the electric field has been detected. Spatial dependences of the polarization of the transmitted wave has been analyzed for the near-field zone.
We analyze dynamic properties of vertical graphene-base hot-electron transistors (GB-HETs) and consider their operation as detectors of terahertz (THz) radiation using the developed device model. The GB-HET model accounts for the tunneling electron injection from the emitter, electron propagation across the barrier layers with the partial capture into the GB, and the self-consistent oscillations of the electric potential and the hole density in the GB (plasma oscillations), as well as the quantum capacitance and the electron transit-time effects. Using the proposed device model, we calculate t…
We measured a change in the current transport of an antenna-coupled, multi-gate, GaAs/AlGaAs field-effect transistor when terahertz electromagnetic waves irradiated the transistor and attribute the change to bolometric heating of the electrons in the two-dimensional electron channel. The observed terahertz absorption spectrum indicates coherence between plasmons excited under adjacent biased device gates. The experimental results agree quantitatively with a theoretical model we developed that is based on a generalized plasmonic transmission line formalism and describes an evolution of the plas…
The deployment of plasmonic nanostructures to enhance nonlinear signal generation requires effective far-to-near field coupling and phase matching for frequency conversion. While the latter can be easily achieved at plasmonic hotspots, the former is an antenna problem that requires dedicated structural design and optimization. Plasmonic gratings are a simple but effective platform for nonlinear signal generation since they provide a well-defined momentum for photon-plasmon coupling and local hotspots for frequency conversion. In this work, a plasmonic azimuthally chirped grating (ACG), which p…
Inspired by recent advancement of low-power ferroelectic-gated memories and transistors, we propose a design of ferroelectic-gated nanoplasmonic devices based on graphene sheets clamped in ferroelectric crystals. We show that the two-dimensional plasmons in graphene strongly couple with the phonon-polaritons in ferroelectrics at terahertz frequencies, leading to characteristic modal wavelength of the order of 100--200 nm at only 3--4 THz. By patterning the ferroelectrics into different domains, one can produce compact on-chip plasmonic waveguides, which exhibit negligible crosstalk even at 50 …
We evaluate the proposed resonant terahertz (THz) detectors on the base of field-effect transistors (FETs) with split gates, electrically induced lateral p-n junctions, uniform graphene layer (GL) or perforated (in the p-n junction depletion region) graphene layer (PGL) channel. The perforated depletion region forms an array of the nanoconstions or nanoribbons creating the barriers for the holes and electrons. The operation of the GL-FET- and PGL-FET detectors is associated with the rectification of the ac current across the lateral p-n junction enhanced by the excitation of bound plasmonic os…
The gate-controllable complex conductivity of graphene offers unprecedented opportunities for reconfigurable plasmonics at THz and mid-IR frequencies. However, the requirement of a gating electrode close to graphene and the single `control knob' that this approach offers for graphene conductivity limits the practical implementation and performance of graphene-controllable plasmonic devices. Herein, we report on graphene stacks composed of two or more graphene monolayers separated by electrically thin dielectrics and present a simple and rigorous theoretical framework for their characterization…
The device applications of plasmonic systems such as graphene and two dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) in III-V heterostructures include terahertz detectors, mixers, oscillators and modulators. These two dimensional (2D) plasmonic systems are not only well-suited for device integration, but also enable the broad tunability of underdamped plasma excitations via an applied electric field. We present demonstrations of the coherent coupling of multiple voltage tuned GaAs/AlGaAs 2D plasmonic resonators under terahertz irradiation. By utilizing a plasmonic homodyne mixing mechanism to downconvert …
In recent years, we have seen a rapid progress in the field of graphene plasmonics, motivated by graphene's unique electrical and optical properties, tunabilty, long-lived collective excitation and their extreme light confinement. Here, we review the basic properties of graphene plasmons; their energy dispersion, localization and propagation, plasmon-phonon hybridization, lifetimes and damping pathways. The application space of graphene plasmonics lies in the technologically significant, but relatively unexploited terahertz to mid-infrared regime. We discuss emerging and potential applications…
Overcoming the diffraction limit to achieve high optical resolution is one of the main challenges in the fields of plasmonics, nanooptics and nanophotonics. In this work, we introduce novel plasmonic structures consisting of nanoantennas (nanoprisms, single bowtie nanoantennas and double bowtie nanoantennas) integrated in the center of ring diffraction gratings. Propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are generated by the ring grating and coupled with localized surface plasmons (LSPs) at the nanoantennas exciting emitters placed in their gap. SPPs are widely used for optical waveguiding …
Photonic crystals and metamaterials have emerged as two classes of tailorable materials that enable precise control of light. Plasmonic crystals, which can be thought of as photonic crystals fabricated from plasmonic materials, Bragg scatter incident electromagnetic waves from a repeated unit cell. However, plasmonic crystals, like metamaterials, are composed of subwavelength unit cells. Here, we study terahertz plasmonic crystals of several periods in a two dimensional electron gas. This plasmonic medium is both extremely subwavelength ($\approx λ/100$) and reconfigurable through the applicat…
In this work, we introduce the platform of plasmonic Doppler grating (PDG) to experimentally investigate the enhancement effect of plasmonic gratings in the input and output beams of nonlinear surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS). PDGs are designable azimuthally chirped gratings that provide broadband and spatially dispersed plasmonic enhancement. Therefore, they offer the opportunity to observe and compare the overall enhancement from different combinations of enhancement in individual input and output beams. We first confirm PDG's capability of spatially separating…
Plasmons, collective oscillations of electron systems, can efficiently couple light and electric current, and thus can be used to create sub-wavelength photodetectors, radiation mixers, and on-chip spectrometers. Despite considerable effort, it has proven challenging to implement plasmonic devices operating at terahertz frequencies. The material capable to meet this challenge is graphene as it supports long-lived electrically-tunable plasmons. Here we demonstrate plasmon-assisted resonant detection of terahertz radiation by antenna-coupled graphene transistors that act as both plasmonic Fabry-…
For single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a length of 1-50 nm, the surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) resonance is within the terahertz frequency range; therefore, SWCNT lattices can be used to design frequency-selective surface (FSS). The numerical model of electromagnetic wave diffraction on a two-dimensional periodic SWCNT lattice can be described by an integro-differential equation of the second-order with respect to the surface current along SWCNT. The equation can be solved by the Bubnov-Galerkin method. Frequency dependence of reflecting and transmitting electromagnetic waves for FS…
Transistor structures comprising graphene and sub-wavelength metal gratings hold a great promise for plasmon-enhanced terahertz detection. Despite considerable theoretical effort, little experimental evidence for terahertz plasmons in such structures was found so far. Here, we report an experimental study of plasmons in graphene-insulator-grating structures using Fourier transform spectroscopy in 5-10 THz range. The plasmon resonance is clearly visible above the Drude absorption background even in chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene with low carrier mobility $\sim 10^3$ cm$^2$/(V s). We ar…
We present a computational study of terahertz optical properties of a grating-coupled plasmonic structure based on micrometer-thin InSb layers. We find two strong absorption resonances that we interpret as standing surface plasmon modes and investigate their dispersion relations, dependence on InSb thickness, and the spatial distribution of the electric field. The observed surface plasmon modes are well described by a simple theory of the air/InSb/air trilayer. The plasmonic response of the grating/InSb structure is highly sensitive to the dielectric environment and the presence of an analyte …
We report on the observation of terahertz radiation induced photogalvanic currents in semiconductor heterostructures with one-dimensional lateral periodic potential. The potential is produced by etching a grating into the sample surface. The electric current response is well described by phenomenological theory including both the circular and linear photogalvanic effects. Experimental data demonstrate that the inversion asymmetry of the periodic lateral pattern can be varied by means of electron beam lithography to produce classical lateral ratchets. A novel microscopical mechanism for the pol…
Nonlinear intensity dependence of ratchet currents induced by terahertz laser radiation in bilayer graphene with asymmetric periodic grating gates
University of Regensburg（雷根斯堡大学）；CENTERA Laboratories, Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences（波兰科学院高压物理研究所 CENTERA 实验室）；Ioffe Institute（约费研究所）；National Institute for Materials Science（日本国立材料研究所）
Plasmon oscillations have been intensively studied for more than forty years in conventional two-dimensional electron gas systems in order to find new alternatives to the vacuum devices based on the Smith-Purcell effect in the far-infrared region. However, beside the multiple endeavors, up to date, the plasmon generation in semiconductor heterostructures has been very inefficient. Here we demonstrate that the use of high mobility graphene metamaterials, due to their well-known stronger light-plasmon coupling compared to semiconductor materials can significantly improve the efficiency of far-in…
Based on a structure consisting of a single graphene layer situated on a periodic dielectric grating, we show theoretically that intense terahertz (THz) radiations can be generated by an electron bunch moving atop the graphene layer. The underlying physics lies in the fact that a moving electron bunch with rather low electron energy ($\sim$1 keV) can efficiently excite graphene plasmons (GPs) of THz frequencies with a strong confinement of near-fields. GPs can be further scattered into free space by the grating for those satisfying the phase matching condition. The radiation patterns can be co…
We report here fabrication of interdigitated photoconductive antenna (iPCA) terahertz (THz) emitters based on plasmonic electrode design. Novel design of this iPCA enables it to work without microlens array focusing, which is otherwise required for photo excitation of selective photoconductive regions to avoid the destructive interference of emitted THz radiation from oppositely biased regions. Benefit of iPCA over single active region PCA is that photo excitation can be done at larger area, hence avoiding the saturation effected at higher optical excitation density. The emitted THz radiation …
Plasmonic detectors have the potential to provide a method of rapid spectroscopy without the need of moving mirrors or gratings. Previous measurements have demonstrated frequency tunable detection based on plasmonic excitations, however these devices were either small area, polarization dependent and/or required e-beam lithography. We demonstrate that large area high sensitivity THz plasmonic detection can be achieved using self-assembly nanosphere lithography. We achieve a submicron feature size grid covering a detector area of 4 mm^2. The absorbance at the fundamental, third and 5th harmonic…
We measure the conductivity spectra of thin films comprising bundled single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of different average lengths in the frequency range 0.3-1000 THz and temperature interval 10-530 K. The observed temperature-induced changes in the terahertz conductivity spectra are shown to depend strongly on the average CNT length, with a conductivity around 1 THz that increases/decreases as the temperature increases for short/long tubes. This behaviour originates from the temperature dependence of the electron scattering rate, which we obtain from Drude fits of the measured conductivi…
We report on experimental studies of terahertz (THz) radiation transmission through grating-gate graphene-channel transistor nanostructures and demonstrate room temperature THz radiation amplification stimulated by current-driven plasmon excitations. Specifically, with increase of the direct current (dc) under periodic charge density modulation, we observe a strong red shift of the resonant THz plasmon absorption, its complete bleaching, followed by the amplification and blue shift of the resonant plasmon frequency. Our results are, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental observat…
Optical nanosensors are promising for hydrogen sensing because they are small, free from spark generation, and feasible for remote optical readout. Conventional optical nanosensors require broadband excitation and spectrometers, rendering the devices bulky and complex. An alternative is spatial intensity-based optical sensing, which only requires an imaging system and a smartly designed platform to report the spatial distribution of analytical optical signals. Here, we present a spatial intensity-based hydrogen sensing platform based on Fano-like spatial distribution of the transmission in a P…
We propose a microscopic theory of terahertz (THz) radiation generation on metal gratings under the action of femtosecond laser pulses. In contrast to previous models, only low-frequency currents inside the metal are considered without involving electron emission. The presented model is based on plasmon-enhanced thermal effects and explains the resonant character of optical-to-THz conversion giving an adequate estimation for the full signal energy. Numerical modeling reproduces specific experimental features like delayed character of THz response and low conversion efficiency when the grating …
We report on the observation and systematic study of polarization sensitive magnetic quantum ratchet effects induced by alternating electric fields in the terahertz frequency range. The effects are detected in (Cd,Mn)Te-based quantum well (QW) structures with inter-digitated dual-grating-gate (DGG) lateral superlattices. A dc electric current excited by cw terahertz laser radiation shows 1/B-periodic oscillations with an amplitude much larger than the photocurrent at zero magnetic field. Variation of gate voltages applied to individual grating gates of the DGG enables us to change the degree a…
Nonlinear optics is an increasingly important field for scientific and technological applications, owing to its relevance and potential for optical and optoelectronic technologies. Currently, there is an active search for suitable nonlinear material systems with efficient conversion and small material footprint. Ideally, the material system should allow for chip-integration and room-temperature operation. Two-dimensional materials are highly interesting in this regard. Particularly promising is graphene, which has demonstrated an exceptionally large nonlinearity in the terahertz regime. Yet, t…
Among its many outstanding properties, graphene supports terahertz surface plasma waves -- sub-wavelength charge density oscillations connected with electromagnetic fields that are tightly localized near the surface[1,2]. When these waves are confined to finite-sized graphene, plasmon resonances emerge that are characterized by alternating charge accumulation at the opposing edges of the graphene. The resonant frequency of such a structure depends on both the size and the surface charge density, and can be electrically tuned throughout the terahertz range by applying a gate voltage[3,4]. The p…
In order to characterize magnetic-field (B) tunable THz plasmonic detectors, spectroscopy experiments were carried out at liquid helium temperatures and high magnetic fields on devices fabricated on a high electron mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The samples were either gated (the gate of a meander shape) or ungated. Spectra of a photovoltage generated by THz radiation were obtained as a function of B at a fixed THz excitation from a THz laser or as a function of THz photon frequency at a fixed B with a Fourier spectrometer. In the first type of measurements, the wave vector of magnetopl…
Two rich and vibrant fields of investigation, graphene physics and plasmonics, strongly overlap. Not only does graphene possess intrinsic plasmons that are tunable and adjustable, but a combination of graphene with noble-metal nanostructures promises a variety of exciting applications for conventional plasmonics. The versatility of graphene means that graphene-based plasmonics may enable the manufacture of novel optical devices working in different frequency ranges, from terahertz to the visible, with extremely high speed, low driving voltage, low power consumption and compact sizes. Here we r…
The concept and analysis of a Terahertz (THz) frequency-reconfigurable antenna using graphene are presented. The antenna exploits dipole-like plasmonic resonances that can be frequency-tuned on large range via the electric field effect in a graphene stack. In addition to efficient dynamic control, the proposed approach allows high miniaturization and good direct matching with continuous wave THz sources. A qualitative model is used to explain the excellent impedance stability under reconfiguration. These initial results are very promising for future all-graphene THz transceivers and sensors. K…
