Photoreflectance and surface photovoltage spectroscopy of beryllium-doped GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum wells

We present an optical study of beryllium delta-doped GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum well (QW) structures designed for sensing terahertz (THz) radiation. Photoreflectance (PR), surface photovoltage (SPV), and wavelength-modulated differential surface photovoltage (DSPV) spectra were measured in the structures with QW widths ranging from 3 to 20 nm and doping densities from 2×10(10) to 5×10(12) cm(–2) at room temperature. The PR spectra displayed Franz-Keldysh oscillations which enabled an estimation of the electric-field strength of ~20 kV/cm at the sample surface. By analyzing the SPV spectra we have determined that a buried interface rather than the sample surface mainly governs the SPV effect. The DSPV spectra revealed sharp features associated with excitonic interband transitions which energies were found to be in a good agreement with those calculated including the nonparabolicity of the energy bands. The dependence of the exciton linewidth broadening on the well width and the quantum index has shown that an average half monolayer well width fluctuations is mostly predominant broadening mechanism for QWs thinner than 10 nm. The line broadening in lightly doped QWs, thicker than 10 nm, was found to arise from thermal broadening with the contribution from Stark broadening due to random electric fields of the ionized impurities in the structures. We finally consider the possible influence of strong internal electric fields, QW imperfections, and doping level on the operation of THz sensors fabricated using the studied structures. © 2005 American Institute of Physic

Field Effect Transistors for Terahertz Detection: Physics and First Imaging Applications

Resonant frequencies of the two-dimensional plasma in FETs increase with the reduction of the channel dimensions and can reach the THz range for sub-micron gate lengths. Nonlinear properties of the electron plasma in the transistor channel can be used for the detection and mixing of THz frequencies. At cryogenic temperatures resonant and gate voltage tunable detection related to plasma waves resonances, is observed. At room temperature, when plasma oscillations are overdamped, the FET can operate as an efficient broadband THz detector. We present the main theoretical and experimental results on THz detection by FETs in the context of their possible application for THz imaging.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, review pape

Special Libraries, April 1933

Volume 24, Issue 3https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1933/1002/thumbnail.jp

Photoresponse of Schottky-barrier detector under strong IR laser excitation

Peculiarities of the photovoltaic effect in Ti/n-Si Schottky contact have been studied experimentally under infrared (IR) laser excitation at wavelengths 2.79, 3, 5, 7 and 10.6 mm. We demonstrate that strong laser excitation gives rise to the photovoltage even if an incident photon energy is lower than Schottky barrier height. In this case the photovoltage as a function of light intensity follows a power-law dependence with the power greater than unity (2...6). The results are interpreted from the viewpoint of electron emission over the potential barrier due to multiphoton or multistep light absorption at the metal-semiconductor interface