Abstract-Tunable Antenna Coupled Intersubband Terahertz Detector

Nutan Gautam, Jonathan Kawamura, Nacer Chahat, Boris Karasik, Paolo Focardi, Samuel Gulkis, Loren Pfeiffer, Mark Sherwin

http://arxiv-web3.library.cornell.edu/abs/1410.5344

We report on the development of a tunable antenna coupled intersubband terahertz (TACIT) detector based on GaAs/AlGaAs two dimensional electron gas. A successful device design and micro-fabrication process have been developed which maintain the high mobility (1.1x106 cm2/V-s at 10K) of a 2DEG channel in the presence of a highly conducting backgate. Gate voltage-controlled device resistance and direct THz sensing has been observed. The goal is to operate as a nearly quantum noise limited heterodyne sensor suitable for passively-cooled space platforms.