THz-excitation spectroscopy technique for band-offset determination.

The experimental THz-excitation spectroscopy technique for determining heterojunction band offsets is suggested. When photoexcited electrons gain sufficient energy to pass the potential barrier corresponding to a conduction band offset, an amplitude of THz-emission pulse sharply increases, which allows for direct measurements of the offset value. The technique is applied for determining GaAsBi-GaAs band offsets. The deduced conduction band offset of GaAsBi-GaAs heterojunction has about 45% of an energy gap difference at the Bi concentrations x < 0.12 investigated.

Terahertz pulse generation from (111)-cut InSb and InAs crystals when illuminated by 1.55-µm femtosecond laser pulses.

Terahertz (THz) pulse generation from p-InAs, p-InSb, and n-InSb epitaxial layers are investigated using 1.55-µm wavelength femtosecond laser pulses for photoexcitation. The samples are of (111) crystallographic orientation resulting in anisotropic photoconductivity. Experiments have shown that THz generation in InAs is mainly due to anisotropic photocurrent in the surface electric field while a dominant mechanism in InSb is optical rectification. At high optical excitation fluencies, InSb is more efficient than p-InAs. In the presence of an external magnetic field, (111) InSb has exhibited promising viability as an alternative to the photoconductive antenna emitter in a THz time-domain-spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system.

Terahertz radiation from an InAs surface due to lateral photocurrent transients.

We report on terahertz (THz) emission from a (111)-cut InAs crystal in the reflection and transmission directions, excited by femtosecond optical pulses in the direction of its surface normal. THz pulse amplitudes emitted from the crystal surface in this case were only ~20% smaller than for optimal photoexcitation at a 45° angle. This observation evidences that THz emission from InAs is caused by lateral photocurrent transients appearing due to a crystal anisotropy rather than directly by the photo-Dember effect, which creates fast changing electric polarization perpendicular to the surface. Such a simple geometry of the photoexcitation could greatly enhance the fields of surface THz emitter applications.

Terahertz emission from tubular pB(Zr,Ti)O3 nanostructures.

We report intense terahertz emission from lead zirconate titanate (PZT) tubular nanostructures, which have a wall thickness around 40 nm and protrude on n-type Si substrates. Such emission is totally absent in flat PZT films or bulk; hence the effect is attributed to the nanoscale geometry of the tubes. The terahertz radiation is emitted within 0.2 ps, and the spectrum exhibits a broad peak from 2 to 8 THz. This is a gap in the frequency spectrum of conventional semiconductor terahertz devices, such as ZnTe, and an order of magnitude higher frequency peak than that in the well-studied p-InAs, due to the abnormally large carrier concentration gradient in the nanostructured PZT. The inferred mechanism is optical rectification within a surface accumulation layer, rather than the Dember effect. The terahertz emission is optically pumped, but since the tubes exhibit ferroelectric switching, electrically driven emission may also be possible. EPR reveals 02 molecules adsorbed onto the nanotubes, which may play some role in the emission.