Highly efficient terahertz detection by optical mixing in a GaAs photoconductor

摘要

It is shown from accurate on-wafer measurement that a low-temperature-grown GaAs photoconductor using a metallic mirror Fabry-Perot cavity can serve as highly efficient optoelectronic heterodyne mixer in the terahertz frequency range. Conversion losses of 22 dB at 100 GHz and ～27dB at 300 GHz were measured, which is an improvement by a factor of about 40 dB as compared with the previous values obtained with photoconductors. Experimental results are interpreted satisfactorily by means of a simple electrical model of the optoelectronic mixing process.