RESUMO
The rectification of electromagnetic waves to direct currents is a crucial process for energy harvesting, beyond-5G wireless communications, ultra-fast science, and observational astronomy. As the radiation frequency is raised to the sub-terahertz (THz) domain, ac-to-dc conversion by conventional electronics becomes challenging and requires alternative rectification protocols. Here, we address this challenge by tunnel field-effect transistors made of bilayer graphene (BLG). Taking advantage of BLG's electrically tunable band structure, we create a lateral tunnel junction and couple it to an antenna exposed to THz radiation. The incoming radiation is then down-converted by the tunnel junction nonlinearity, resulting in high responsivity (>4 kV/W) and low-noise (0.2 pW/[Formula: see text]) detection. We demonstrate how switching from intraband Ohmic to interband tunneling regime can raise detectors' responsivity by few orders of magnitude, in agreement with the developed theory. Our work demonstrates a potential application of tunnel transistors for THz detection and reveals BLG as a promising platform therefor.
RESUMO
Infrared (IR) and terahertz plasmons in two-dimensional (2D) materials are commonly excited by metallic or dielectric grating couplers with deep-submicron features fabricated by e-beam lithography. Mass reproduction of such gratings at macroscopic scales is a labor-consuming and expensive technology. Here, we show that localized plasmons in graphene can be generated on macroscopic scales with couplers based on randomly oriented particle-like nanorods (NRs) in close proximity to graphene layer. We monitor the excitation of graphene plasmons indirectly by tracking the changes in reflection/absorption spectra of methylene blue (MB) or polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA) molecules deposited on the structure. Hybridization of spectrally broad graphene plasmon and narrow molecular oscillators results in enhanced oscillator strengths and Fano scattering related lines asymmetry in reflection spectra.
