No Arabic abstract
Based on a structure consisting of a single graphene layer situated on a periodic dielectric grating, we show theoretically that intense terahertz (THz) radiations can be generated by an electron bunch moving atop the graphene layer. The underlying physics lies in the fact that a moving electron bunch with rather low electron energy ($sim$1 keV) can efficiently excite graphene plasmons (GPs) of THz frequencies with a strong confinement of near-fields. GPs can be further scattered into free space by the grating for those satisfying the phase matching condition. The radiation patterns can be controlled by varying the velocity of the moving electrons. Importantly, the radiation frequencies can be tuned by varying the Fermi level of the graphene layer, offering tunable THz radiations that can cover a wide frequency range. Our results could pave the way toward developing tunable and miniature THz radiation sources based on graphene.
Compressible electron flow through a narrow cavity is theoretically unstable, and the oscillations occurring during the instability have been proposed as a method of generating Terahertz radiation. We numerically demonstrate that the endpoint of this instability is a nonlinear hydrodynamic oscillator, consisting of an alternating shock wave and rarefaction-like relaxation flowing back and forth in the device. This qualitative physics is robust to cavity inhomogeneity and changes in the equation of state of the fluid. We discuss the frequency and amplitude dependence of the emitted radiation on physical parameters (viscosity, momentum relaxation rate, and bias current) beyond linear response theory, providing clear predictions for future experiments.
We report on observation of pronounced terahertz radiation-induced magneto-resistivity oscillations in AlGaAs/GaAs two-dimensional electron systems, the THz analog of the microwave induced resistivity oscillations (MIRO). Applying high power radiation of a pulsed molecular laser we demonstrate that MIRO, so far observed at low power only, are not destroyed even at very high intensities. Experiments with radiation intensity ranging over five orders of magnitude from $0.1$ W/cm$^2$ to $10^4$ W/cm$^2$ reveal high-power saturation of the MIRO amplitude, which is well described by an empirical fit function $I/(1 + I/I_s)^beta$ with $beta sim 1$. The saturation intensity Is is of the order of tens of W/cm$^2$ and increases by six times by increasing the radiation frequency from $0.6$ to $1.1$ THz. The results are discussed in terms of microscopic mechanisms of MIRO and compared to nonlinear effects observed earlier at significantly lower excitation frequencies.
Among its many outstanding properties, graphene supports terahertz surface plasma waves -- sub-wavelength charge density oscillations connected with electromagnetic fields that are tightly localized near the surface[1,2]. When these waves are confined to finite-sized graphene, plasmon resonances emerge that are characterized by alternating charge accumulation at the opposing edges of the graphene. The resonant frequency of such a structure depends on both the size and the surface charge density, and can be electrically tuned throughout the terahertz range by applying a gate voltage[3,4]. The promise of tunable graphene THz plasmonics has yet to be fulfilled, however, because most proposed optoelectronic devices including detectors, filters, and modulators[5-10] desire near total modulation of the absorption or transmission, and require electrical contacts to the graphene -- constraints that are difficult to meet using existing plasmonic structures. We report here a new class of plasmon resonance that occurs in a hybrid graphene-metal structure. The sub-wavelength metal contacts form a capacitive grid for accumulating charge, while the narrow interleaved graphene channels, to first order, serves as a tunable inductive medium, thereby forming a structure that is resonantly-matched to an incident terahertz wave. We experimentally demonstrate resonant absorption near the theoretical maximum in readily-available, large-area graphene, ideal for THz detectors and tunable absorbers. We further predict that the use of high mobility graphene will allow resonant THz transmission near 100%, realizing a tunable THz filter or modulator. The structure is strongly coupled to incident THz radiation, and solves a fundamental problem of how to incorporate a tunable plasmonic channel into a device with electrical contacts.
We observe that the illumination of unbiased graphene in the quantum Hall regime with polarized terahertz laser radiation results in a direct edge current. This photocurrent is caused by an imbalance of persistent edge currents, which are driven out of thermal equilibrium by indirect transitions within the chiral edge channel. The direction of the edge photocurrent is determined by the polarity of the external magnetic field, while its magnitude depends on the radiation polarization. The microscopic theory developed in this paper describes well the experimental data.
The modulation of the transmitted (reflected) radiation due to change of interband transitions under variation of carriers concentration by the gate voltage is studied theoretically. The calculations were performed for strongly doped graphene on high-K (Al_2O_3, HfO_2, AlN, and ZrO_2) or SiO_2 substrates under normal propagation of radiation. We have obtained the modulation depth above 10% depending on wavelength, gate voltage (i.e. carriers concentration), and parameters of substrate. The graphene - dielectric substrate - doped Si (as gate) structures can be used as an effective electrooptical modulator of near-IR and mid-IR radiation for the cases of high-K and SiO_2 substrates, respectively.