Abstract-Sub-terahertz microsecond optically controlled switch with GaAs active element beyond the photoelectric threshold

M. Kulygin¹, G. Denisov¹, K. Vlasova¹, N. Andreev¹, S. Shubin¹ andS. Salahetdinov¹
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/rsi/87/1/10.1063/1.4939673
1 Institute of Applied Physics Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanova Street, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
Rev. Sci. Instrum. 87, 014704 (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4939673
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/rsi/87/1/10.1063/1.4939673

We study an unusual working regime of a recently developed sub-terahertz microwave cavity-based switch. The resonator cavity includes a semiconductor plate which is illuminated by laser emission beyond the photoelectric threshold. Despite a significant change to the conventional process of photoelectric effect we have found that the switch works. Typical switching performance rate is about 1 μs for the regime. A process of carrier densityrelaxationbeyond the photoelectric threshold is discussed. An idea of diagnostic method for the semiconductor’s quality is proposed.