Interaction Of Terahertz Radiation With Semiconductor Nanostructures And Quantum Systems

Physics and Modeling of Tera- and Nano-Devices is a compilation of papers by well-respected researchers working in the field of physics and modeling of novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. The topics covered include devices based on carbon nanotubes, generation and detection of terahertz radiation in semiconductor structures including terahertz plasma oscillations and instabilities, terahertz photomixing in semiconductor heterostructures, spin and microwave-induced phenomena in low-dimensional systems, and various computational aspects of device modeling. Researchers as well as graduate and postgraduate students working in this field will benefit from reading this book. Sample Chapter(s). Semiconductor Device Scaling: Physics, Transport, and the Role of Nanowires (784 KB). Contents: Semiconductor Device Scaling: Physics, Transport, and the Role of Nanowires (D K Ferry et al.); Polaronic Effects at the Field Effect Junctions for Unconventional Semiconductors (N Kirova); Cellular Monte Carlo Simulation of High Field Transport in Semiconductor Devices (S M Goodnick & M Saraniti); Nanoelectronic Device Simulation Based on the Wigner Function Formalism (H Kosina); Quantum Simulations of Dual Gate MOSFET Devices: Building and Deploying Community Nanotechnology Software Tools on nanoHUB.org (S Ahmed et al.); Positive Magneto-Resistance in a Point Contact: Possible Manifestation of Interactions (V T Renard et al.); Impact of Intrinsic Parameter Fluctuations in Nano-CMOS Devices on Circuits and Systems (S Roy et al.); HEMT-Based Nanometer Devices Toward Terahertz Era (E Sano & T Otsuji); Plasma Waves in Two-Dimensional Electron Systems and Their Applications (V Ryzhii et al.); Resonant Terahertz Detection Antenna Utilizing Plasma Oscillations in Lateral Schottky Diode (A Satou et al.); Terahertz Polarization Controller Based on Electronic Dispersion Control of 2D Plasmons (T Nishimura & T Otsuji); Higher-Order Plasmon Resonances in GaN-Based Field-Effect Transistor Arrays (V V Popov et al.); Ultra-Highly Sensitive Terahertz Detection Using Carbon-Nanotube Quantum Dots (Y Kawano et al.); Generation of Ultrashort Electron Bunches in Nanostructures by Femtosecond Laser Pulses (A Gladun et al.); Characterization of Voltage-Controlled Oscillator Using RTD Transmission Line (K Narahara et al.); Infrared Quantum-Dot Detectors with Diffusion-Limited Capture (N Vagidov et al.); Magnetoresistance in Fe/MgO/Fe Magentic Tunnel Junctions (N N Beleskii et al.); Modeling and Implementation of Spin-Based Quantum Computation (M E Hawley et al.); Quantum Engineering for Threat Reduction and Homeland Security (G P Berman et al.); Strong Phase Shift Mask Manufacturing Error Impact on the 65nm Poly Line Printability (N Belova). Readership: Academics, graduate and postgraduate students in the field of physics and modeling of novel electronics and optoelectronic devices.

The last research frontier in high frequency electronics lies in the so-called terahertz (or submillimeter wave) regime, between the traditional microwave and the infrared domains. Significant scientific and technical challenges within the terahertz (THz) frequency regime have recently motivated an array of new research activities. During the last few years, major research programs have emerged that are focused on advancing the state of the art in THz frequency electronic technology and on investigating novel applications of THz frequency sensing. This book provides a detailed review of the new THz frequency technological developments that are emerging across a wide spectrum of sensing and technology areas. Volume II presents cutting edge results in two primary areas: (1) research that is attempting to establish THz-frequency sensing as a new characterization tool for chemical, biological and semiconductor materials, and (2) theoretical and experimental efforts to define new device concepts within the OC THz gapOCO. Contents: THz-Frequency Spectroscopic Sensing of DNA and Related Biological Materials (T Globus et al.); Spectroscopy with Electronic Terahertz Techniques for Chemical and Biological Sensing (M K Choi et al.); Terahertz Applications to Biomolecular Sensing (A G Markelz & S E Whitmire); Characteristics of Nano-Scale Composites at THz and IR Spectral Regions (J F Federici & H Grebel); Fundamentals of Terrestrial Millimeter-Wave and THz Remote Sensing (E R Brown); Terahertz Emission Using Quantum Dots and Microcavities (G S Solomon et al.); Terahertz Transport in Semiconductor Quantum Structures (S J Allen & J S Scott); Advanced Theory of Instability in Tunneling Nanostructures (D L Woolard et al.); Wigner Function Simulations of Quantum DeviceOCoCircuits Interactions (H L Grubin & R C Buggeln); Continuous-Wave Terahertz Spectroscopy of Plasmas and Biomolecules (D F Plusquellic et al.). Readership: Undergraduates, graduate students, academics and researchers in engineering and science."

This book covers the latest advances in the techniques employed to manage the THz radiation and its potential uses. It has been subdivided in three sections: THz Detectors, THz Sources, Systems and Applications. These three sections will allow the reader to be introduced in a logical way to the physics problems of sensing and generation of the terahertz radiation, the implementation of these devices into systems including other components and finally the exploitation of the equipment for real applications in some different field. All of the sections and chapters can be individually addressed in order to deepen the understanding of a single topic without the need to read the whole book. The THz Detectors section will address the latest developments in detection devices based on three different physical principles: photodetection, thermal power detection, rectification. The THz Sources section will describe three completely different generation methods, operating in three separate scales: quantum cascade lasers, free electron lasers and non-linear optical generation. The Systems and Applications section will take care of introducing many of the aspects needed to move from a device to an equipment perspective: control of terahertz radiation, its use in imaging or in spectroscopy, potential uses in security, and will address also safety issues. The text book is at a level appropriate to graduate level courses up to researchers in the field who require a reference book covering all aspects of terahertz technology.

The inherent advantages and potential payoffs of the terahertz (THz) regime for military and security applications serve as an important driver for interest in new THz-related science and technology. In particular, the very rapid growth in more recent years is arguably most closely linked to the potential payoffs of THz sensing and imaging (THz-S&I).This book presents some of the leading fundamental research efforts towards the realization of practical THz-S&I capabilities for military and security applications. Relevant subjects include theoretical prediction and/or measurement of THz spectroscopic phenomenon in solid-state materials such as high explosives (e.g. HMX, PETN, RDX, TNT, etc.), carbon-fiber composites, biological agents (e.g. DNA, RNA, proteins, amino acids) and organic-semiconductor nanostructures. Individual papers also address the effective utilization of state-of-the-art THz-frequency technology in military and security relevant scenarios such as standoff S&I, screening of packages and personnel, and perimeter defense. Technical papers introduce novel devices and/or concepts that enhance THz source and detector performance, enabling completely new types of sensor functionality at THz frequency (e.g. detection at nanoscale/molecular levels), and defining new and innovative sensing modalities (e.g. remote personnel identification) for defense and security. Therefore, the collective research presented here represents a valuable source of information on the evolving field of THz-S&I for military and security applications.

Terahertz (THz) technology bears great potential in spectroscopy, imaging, material science, security screening and high-speed wireless communication. However, the generation of intensive, directional THz radiation has been difficult and the THz frequency range has long been considered the last final frontier of the electromagnetic spectrum. Recent advancement in optoelectronic terahertz generation techniques and high power electronic sources has helped to bridge the THz gap and has opened up a wealth of new applications for THz technology. However, there is still a major technical limitation in developing THz systems for mass markets, mainly due to the cost of THz hardware components including sources and detectors. In this regard, we investigated the use of semiconductor diode lasers as THz detectors as well as excitation sources for photomixers for THz generation. For THz detection, we investigated the interaction of semiconductor lasers with THz radiation. Intense THz radiation from different sources and at various frequencies was injected into the laser diode. The laser diode was operated in Littman configuration to ensure clean single mode operation in the near infrared. The charge carrier system in the semiconductor was expected to interact with the injected THz radiation and introduce nonlinear frequency mixing. This nonlinear mixing was to induce sidebands in the near infrared optical spectra and was to be analyzed with an optical spectrum analyzer. This may lead to the demonstration of a simple, cost effective and compact room temperature THz spectrometer since the distance between the emission line and the sidebands equals the incident THz frequency. Unfortunatly, due to unprecedented challenges the interaction of THz radiation with diode laser experiment was not successful. Another approach was to demonstrate a compact and cost effective THz source based on monolithic distributed Bragg reflector diode laser emitting two frequencies simulteneously. We successfully demonstrated 300 GHz continuous wave THz radiation, with fiber coupled ion implanted photoconductive antennas used as photomixing devices. The generated THz radiation was tunable via temperature adjustments and current injection. This approach provided a coarse tuning in the range of 286 GHz to 320 GHz. We successfully demonstrated its potential use in non-destructive plant moisture measurements of a leaf induced to drought stresses and for moisture monitoring in drying process of pieces of paper. Due to the fact that the tuning of the developed THz source was coarse, we proposed the use of a new diode which was electrically tunable for fine tuning of the generated THz frequency. The new diode offers optical beat signal adjustments via carrier injection to the DBR section using micro resistor heater integrated on top of the DBR segment. The optical beat tuning via carrier injection was fast and offers tuning which should be free from mode hopping. The injection current to the resistor heater can be adjusted between 0 to 350 mA, an optical beat adjustment of between 100 GHz-300 GHz was realized. This bandwidth was only limited with the overlap of the two modes at higher heater currents of 250 mA to 350 mA. THz radiation emission via photomixing in the range 100 GHz-300 GHz was successfully demonstrated, these results were in good agreement with the optical beat signal measurements. Finally, a simple spectrometer suitable for THz metrology measurements such as thickness determination of Polyethylene sample (PE) was realized and also its application in THz spectroscopy was demonstrated by the determination of the spectroscopic transmission characteristics of a THz filter. In summary, two compact THz sources emitting at 300 GHz were successfully demonstrated and this was a major milestone towards development of compact and cost effective THz system for mass market application.

This book brings together seven selected best papers presented at the 2014 Russia-Japan-USA Symposium on Fundamental and Applied Problems of Terahertz Devices and Technologies (RJUS TeraTech-2014), which was held at the University of Buffalo, New York, USA on 17-21 June 2014.As the third in the series of annual meetings, RJUS TeraTech-2014 continues to be an excellent platform for researchers to exchange their recent original results, and to deal with the technical challenges and barriers of transitioning the research results into the THz system-level applications. The symposium focuses on 2 main areas, namely, interaction of THz radiation with micro- and nano-structures, and advanced solid-state THz emitters and sensors. Leading experts from academia, industry, and government agencies from three countries, including USA, Japan, and Russia, contributed to the collection of research results and developments.This book, covering issues ranging from basic Thz-related phenomena to applications in sensing, imaging, and communications, contains some ground-breaking works in the industry, and will be a useful reference for device and electronics engineers and scientists.

The purpose of this book is two-fold. First, the various different methods of accessing the THz range are discussed, with a view to convince the reader that there have been qualitative and significant improvements over older, more conventional techniques. The text makes it clear that these improvements enable practical "real-world" applications of THz technology, in a manner which would not have been possible before. Second, the demonstrations and feasibility tests described serve as compelling evidence of the utility of such devices. Due to the unique characteristics of THz radiation and its interaction with materials, these devices have substantial advantages over other competing technologies in a number of different areas.

Intense Terahertz Excitation of Semiconductors presents the first comprehensive treatment of high-power terahertz applications to semiconductors and low-dimensional semiconductor structures. Terahertz properties of semiconductors are in the center of scientific activities because of the need of high-speed electronics. This research monograph brigdes the gap between microwave physics and photonics. It focuses on a core topic of semiconductor physics providing a full description of the state of the art of the field. _ The reader is introduced to new physical phenomena which occur in the terahertz frequency range at the transition from semi-classical physics with a classical field amplitude to the fully quantized limit with photons. The book covers a wide range of optical, optoelectronic, and nonlinear transport processes, presenting experimental results, clearly visualizing models and basic theories. Background information for future work and exhaustive references of current literature are given. A particularly valuable feature is through the discussion of various technical aspects of the terahertz range like the generation of high-power coherent radiation, optical components, instrumentation, and detection schemes of short intense radiation impulses. The book complements, for the first time in form of a monograph, previous books on infrared physics which dealt with low-power optical and opto-electronic processes. It will be useful not only to scientists but also to advanced students who are interested in terahertz research.

In this thesis, I present studies in the field of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. These studies are divided into three areas: Development of a narrowband THz source, the study of carrier transport in metal thin films, and the exploration of coherent dynamics of quasi-particles in semiconductor nanostructures with both broadband and narrowband THz sources. The narrowband THz source makes use of type II difference frequency generation (DFG) in a nonlinear crystal to generate THz waves. By using two linearly chirped, orthogonally polarized optical pulses to drive the DFG, we were able to produce a tunable source of strong, narrowband THz radiation. The broadband source makes use of optical rectification of an ultra-short optical pulse in a nonlinear crystal to generate a single-cycle THz pulse. Linear spectroscopic measurements were taken on NiTi-alloy thin films of various thicknesses and titanium concentrations with broadband THz pulses as well as THz power transmission measurements. By applying a combination of the Drude model and Fresnel thin-film coefficients, we were able to extract the DC resistivity of the NiTi-alloy thin films. Using the narrowband source of THz radiation, we explored the exciton dynamics of semiconductor quantum wells. These dynamics were made sense of by observing time-resolved transmission measurements and comparing them to theoretical calculations. By tuning the THz photon energy near exciton transition energies, we were able to observe extreme nonlinear optical transients including the onset of Rabi oscillations. Furthermore, we applied the broadband THz waves to quantum wells embedded in a microcavity, and time-resolved reflectivity measurements were taken. Many interesting nonlinear optical transients were observed, including interference effects between the modulated polariton states in the sample.