Plasmonic boom devices for 300 GHz communication systems
Abstract
PlasmEmerging interest in 300 GHz communication systems has focused attention on electronic sources of THz radiation. Terahertz (THz) detectors using plasmonic devices demonstrated superior performance. These THz detectors have been implemented using AlGaAs/GaAs, AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, THz grating gate devices Si CMOS, and graphene transistors. THz radiation emitted by short channel InGaAs and AlGaN/GaN, devices at cryogenic and room temperatures has been reported but the power levels obtained from individual devices have been very low (typically, in the nanowatt range). Output power of other terahertz solid-state sources based on frequency multiplication reached mW levels but with a very low efficiency. We recently proposed a new generation of THz electronic sources based on “plasmonic boom” concept. The idea is to modulate the electron velocity in a periodic nanostructure so that it periodically exceeds the plasma wave velocity and then drops back below the plasma wave velocity. Such “plasmonic boom” is very similar to the “sonic boom” occurring when a jet crosses the sound barrier. The periodic structure itself serves as an antenna to couple out the terahertz radiation that is generated by these repeated “plasmonic booms”. The resulting plasmonic crystal can also be used for detection of the THz radiation. Estimates for a 1 micron long, 10 micron wide device with 5 periods of the grating gate predicted the output power at 1 THz close to 100 mW. Our approach to developing new tunable solid-state resonant highly sensitive detectors will use AlGaAs/GaAs and AlGaInN/GaN-based Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors HFETs. The latter devices have an extremely high sheet electron density (over a factor of 10 higher than in comparable GaAs-based devices). Such high-density results in a high velocity of plasma waves that will allow us to dramatically increase the operating frequency for the same device dimension, compared to more conventional GaAs-based HFETs, and achieve operation in the terahertz range of frequencies.onic boom devices for 300 GHz communication systems
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712976
Entities
People
- Michael Shur
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- United States Navy