Terahertz emission induced by optical beating in nanometer-length field-effect transistors

Abstract

We report on photo-induced terahertz radiation with a high spectral purity generated by a submicron sized InGaAs-based high-electron-mobility transistor. The emission peak is due to the electron-hole pairs photocreated in the transistor channel at the frequency of the beating of two cw-laser sources. The radiation frequency corresponds to the lowest fundamental plasma mode in the gated region of the transistor channel. The observed high emission quality factor at 200 K is interpreted as a result of stream-plasma instability in the two-dimensional electron gas whose appearance is emphasized by the reduction of the velocity relaxation rate with the temperature.