Compact and ultra-efficient broadband plasmonic terahertz field detector

Yannick Salamin (), Ileana-Cristina Benea-Chelmus (), Yuriy Fedoryshyn, Wolfgang Heni, Delwin L. Elder, Larry R. Dalton, Jérôme Faist and Juerg Leuthold ()
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Yannick Salamin: Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF)
Ileana-Cristina Benea-Chelmus: Institute for Quantum Electronics (IQE)
Yuriy Fedoryshyn: Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF)
Wolfgang Heni: Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF)
Delwin L. Elder: University of Washington
Larry R. Dalton: University of Washington
Jérôme Faist: Institute for Quantum Electronics (IQE)
Juerg Leuthold: Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF)

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Terahertz sources and detectors have enabled numerous new applications from medical to communications. Yet, most efficient terahertz detection schemes rely on complex free-space optics and typically require high-power lasers as local oscillators. Here, we demonstrate a fiber-coupled, monolithic plasmonic terahertz field detector on a silicon-photonics platform featuring a detection bandwidth of 2.5 THz with a 65 dB dynamical range. The terahertz wave is measured through its nonlinear mixing with an optical probe pulse with an average power of only 63 nW. The high efficiency of the scheme relies on the extreme confinement of the terahertz field to a small volume of 10−8(λTHz/2)3. Additionally, on-chip guided plasmonic probe beams sample the terahertz signal efficiently in this volume. The approach results in an extremely short interaction length of only 5 μm, which eliminates the need for phase matching and shows the highest conversion efficiency per unit length up to date.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13490-x

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