TY - JOUR

T1 - An in-plane photoelectric effect in two-dimensional electron systems for terahertz detection

AU - Michailow, Wladislaw

AU - Spencer, Peter

AU - Almond, Nikita W.

AU - Kindness, Stephen J.

AU - Wallis, Robert

AU - Mitchell, Thomas

AU - Degl'Innocenti, Riccardo

AU - Mikhailov, Sergey A.

AU - Beere, Harvey E.

AU - Ritchie, David A.

PY - 2022/4/15

Y1 - 2022/4/15

N2 - Many mid- and far-infrared semiconductor photodetectors rely on a photonic response, when the photon energy is large enough to excite and extract electrons due to optical transitions. Toward the terahertz range with photon energies of a few milli–electron volts, classical mechanisms are used instead. This is the case in two-dimensional electron systems, where terahertz detection is dominated by plasmonic mixing and by scattering-based thermal phenomena. Here, we report on the observation of a quantum, collision-free phenomenon that yields a giant photoresponse at terahertz frequencies (1.9 THz), more than 10-fold as large as expected from plasmonic mixing. We artificially create an electrically tunable potential step within a degenerate two-dimensional electron gas. When exposed to terahertz radiation, electrons absorb photons and generate a large photocurrent under zero source-drain bias. The observed phenomenon, which we call the “in-plane photoelectric effect,” provides an opportunity for efficient direct detection across the entire terahertz range.

AB - Many mid- and far-infrared semiconductor photodetectors rely on a photonic response, when the photon energy is large enough to excite and extract electrons due to optical transitions. Toward the terahertz range with photon energies of a few milli–electron volts, classical mechanisms are used instead. This is the case in two-dimensional electron systems, where terahertz detection is dominated by plasmonic mixing and by scattering-based thermal phenomena. Here, we report on the observation of a quantum, collision-free phenomenon that yields a giant photoresponse at terahertz frequencies (1.9 THz), more than 10-fold as large as expected from plasmonic mixing. We artificially create an electrically tunable potential step within a degenerate two-dimensional electron gas. When exposed to terahertz radiation, electrons absorb photons and generate a large photocurrent under zero source-drain bias. The observed phenomenon, which we call the “in-plane photoelectric effect,” provides an opportunity for efficient direct detection across the entire terahertz range.

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.abi8398

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.abi8398

M3 - Journal article

VL - 8

JO - Science Advances

JF - Science Advances

SN - 2375-2548

IS - 15

M1 - eabi8398

ER -