Tunnel field-effect transistors for sensitive terahertz detection

Abstract

The rectification of electromagnetic waves to direct currents is a crucial process for energy harvesting, beyond-5G wireless communications, ultra-fast science, and observational astronomy. As the radiation frequency is raised to the sub-terahertz (THz) domain, ac-to-dc conversion by conventional electronics becomes challenging and requires alternative rectification protocols. Here we address this challenge by tunnel field-effect transistors made of bilayer graphene (BLG). Taking advantage of BLG's electrically tunable band structure, we create a lateral tunnel junction and couple it to an antenna exposed to THz radiation. The incoming radiation is then down-converted by the tunnel junction nonlinearity, resulting in high-responsivity (> 4 kV/W) and low-noise (0.2 pW/$\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$}) detection. We demonstrate how switching from intraband Ohmic to interband tunneling regime can raise detectors' responsivity by few orders of magnitude, in agreement with the developed theory. Our work demonstrates a potential application of tunnel transistors for THz detection and reveals BLG as a promising platform therefor.

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Cited by in corpus (17)

• Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials
• Transport spectroscopy of ultraclean tunable band gaps in bilayer graphene
• Ultralow-noise terahertz detection by p-n junctions in gapped bilayer graphene
• Tailored nano-electronics and photonics with two-dimensional materials at terahertz frequencies
• Engineering THz-frequency light generation, detection and manipulation through graphene
• Modulation characteristics of uncooled graphene photodetectors
• Terahertz photoconductivity in bilayer graphene transistors: evidence for tunneling at gate-induced junctions
• Coulomb electron drag mechanism of terahertz plasma instability in n+-i-n-n+ graphene FETs with ballistic injection
• Optimal asymmetry of transistor-based terahertz detectors
• A place for two-dimensional plasmonics in electromagnetic wave detection
• Cascade switching current detectors based on arrays of Josephson junctions
• Microscopic theory of plasmon-enabled resonant terahertz detection in bilayer graphene
• Limiting performance of graphene bilayer sub-terahertz detectors at large induced band gap
• Inverse Design of Broadband Antennas for Terahertz Devices Based on 2D Materials
• Enhanced Terahertz Photoresponse via Acoustic Plasmon Cavity Resonances in Scalable Graphene
• Mode-selective cloaking and phase-matching cavity resonances in bilayer graphene transport
• Mode-Resolved Multiband Ballistic Transport and Conductance Thresholds in Bilayer Graphene Junctions