Double-grating-gate field-effect transistors have a great potential as terahertz detectors. This is because the double grating gate serves not only for carrier density tuning but also as an efficient THz radiation coupler. In this paper, we present characterization of these transistors using high magnetic fields. Low and high magnetic field data are used to determine the electron mobility and electron concentration, respectively, in different parts of the transistor channel.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of conversion between terahertz electromagnetic wave energy and direct current energy via plasma waves in a terahertz electromagnetic wave conversion device with a field effect transistor structure. This terahertz electromagnetic wave conversion device has an HEMT structure having a substrate (201), an electron transit layer (202), an electron supply layer (203), a source (204) and a drain (205), and comprises a first group of gates (G1) and a second group of gates (G2). The gate length (L1) of each finger of the first group of gates (G1) is narrower than the gate length (L2) of each finger of the second group of gates (G2), and each finger of each group of gates is disposed between the source (204) and the drain (205) on the same cycle (W). A first distance (D1) and a second distance (D2) from each finger of the first group of gates (G1) to two fingers of the second group of gates (G2) adjoining that finger are set to unequal lengths

Recently, a new class of materials, so-called topological insulators, has emerged. These are systems characterized by the inversion of the electronic band structure and also by a certain strength of the spin-orbit interaction. HgTe/CdxHg1−xTe quantum wells represent a prominent example. They can change to the topological insulator phase from the conventional insulator phase when the thickness of the quantum well is increased over the critical thickness dc = 6.3 nm. Here, we report on a far-infrared magnetospectroscopy study of a set of HgTe/CdxHg1−xTe quantum wells with different thicknesses from below to above the critical value dc. In quantizing magnetic fields up to 16 T, both intraband and interband transitions have been clearly observed. In the widest quantum well with inverted band structure, we confirm the avoided crossing of the zero-mode Landau levels observed earlier in similar structures. In both noninverted quantum wells close to the critical thickness, we report unambiguously on the square root dependence of the transition energy on the magnetic field, as expected in the single-particle model of massless Dirac fermions. The obtained results are compared with the allowed transition energies between Landau levels in the valence and conduction bands calculated using the 8 × 8 Kane model.

Cyclotron resonance study of HgTe/CdTe-based quantum wells with both inverted and normal band structures in quantizing magnetic fields was performed. In semimetallic HgTe quantum wells with inverted band structure, a hole cyclotron resonance line was observed for the first time. In the samples with normal band structure, interband transitions were observed with wide line width due to quantum well width fluctuations. In all samples, impurity-related magnetoabsorption lines were revealed. The obtained results were interpreted within the Kane 8*8 model, the valence band offset of CdTe and HgTe, and the Kane parameter EP being adjusted.

We report on photo-induced terahertz radiation with a high spectral purity generated by a submicron sized InGaAs-based high-electron-mobility transistor. The emission peak is due to the electron-hole pairs photocreated in the transistor channel at the frequency of the beating of two cw- laser sources. The radiation frequency corresponds to the lowest fundamental plasma mode in the gated region of the transistor channel. The observed high emission quality factor at 200K is interpreted as a result of stream-plasma instability in the two-dimensional electron gas whose appearance is emphasized by the reduction of the velocity relaxation rate with the temperature.

Heterostructured InAs/InSb nanowire (Nw) based field effect transistors (FET) have been fabricated and tested as Terahetz radiation detectors. While responsivity and noise equivalent power compare with the ones of InAs nanowire detectors, the presence of small-gap InSb semiconductor gives rise to interesting physical effects such an increase of the detected signal with charge injection through the wire, at odds with standard FET-detectors. Additionally, the photodetected signal voltage changes its sign after a threshold gate bias, which we explain considering surface-related transport and field asymmetries imposed by the use of a lateral gate electrode.

Terahertz light helicity sensitive photoresponse in GaAs/AlGaAs high electron mobility transistors. The helicity dependent detection mechanism is interpreted as an interference of plasma oscillations in the channel of the field-effect-transistors (generalized Dyakonov-Shur model). The observed helicity dependent photoresponse is by several orders of magnitude higher than any earlier reported one. Also, linear polarization sensitive photoresponse was registered by the same transistors. The results provide the basis for a new sensitive, all-electric, room-temperature, and fast (better than 1 ns) characterisation of all polarization parameters (Stokes parameters) of terahertz radiation. It paves the way towards terahertz ellipsometry and polarization sensitive imaging based on plasma effects in field-effect-transistors.