The grating-gate plasmonic crystal system represents a compelling arena for investigating strong light-matter interactions and diverse plasmon resonances. This study reviews the recent discovery of two distinctive terahertz phases of AlGaN/GaN plasmonic crystals that arise from varying the modulation of a two-dimensional electron density beneath the metallic gratings: the delocalized phase at weak modulation and the localized phase at strong modulation. Notably, we delve into an impact of the grating filling factor on the electrically driven transition between these phases. Our findings underscore the critical role of specific metal grating geometry parameters in facilitating this transition. Moreover, we explore the potential of utilizing graphene-based gratings as alternatives to metallic gratings. Through the integration of graphene, grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition method on copper foil and then transferred to the high electron mobility AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, we achieve an effective modulation of broadband absorption by free charge carriers within the 0.5–6 THz range via electrical biasing of the graphene electrode. However, while this approach successfully modulates absorption in a wide THz range, it does not elicit plasmon resonances within the graphene-based grating-gate plasmonic crystals. This intriguing observation poses a significant unresolved question warranting further theoretical and experimental exploration in subsequent studies.

Hg 1-xCdxTe alloys are unique because by increasing the Cd content x, one modifies the band structure from inverted to normal, which fundamentally modifies the dispersion of bulk, surface or edge (in the case of quantum wells) energy states. Using alloys with x close to the concentration xc at which the band inversion transition is observed and with additional application of hydrostatic pressure (p), one creates a favorable playground for studying the evolution of Dirac matter and its topological properties. In this work, cryogenic magnetospectroscopy in quantizing magnetic fields (B) in the far-infrared is used to study inter-Landau-level transitions in high-quality Hg 1-xCdxTe MBE-grown epitaxial layers with x approximate to xc as a function of p up to 4.2 kbar. Special attention is paid to elucidate the role of the substrate and buffer layers, which usually modify the pressure coefficients of epitaxial layers. For this purpose, comparative measurements were carried out on as-grown epilayers with a GaAs substrate and on free-standing layers obtained by etching off the substrate. Spectra registered as a function of B (at given p) were analyzed with the help of the Kane model modified to include magnetic field. The pressure coefficient as well as the difference between conduction and valence band deformation potentials of the free-standing layer were determined at 2 K. Surprisingly, the deformation potentials and pressure coefficients of the epitaxial layer and those of the free-standing layer differed by no more than 10% in the pressure range up to 4.2 kbar. This finding questions the common belief of a dominant influence of the substrate on the pressure coefficients of epitaxial layers. We attribute the smallness of this difference to the presence of a highly disordered CdTe buffer separating the substrate from the epitaxial layer, which relaxes the transmission of strain from the substrate to the layer. Our results contribute to a better understanding of pressure experiments carried out on epitaxial layers on a substrate.

Our study reveals the efficient modulation of room-temperature thermal radiation by terahertz plasmons in AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures. We demonstrate close alignment between resulting spectra and plasmon absorption measurements using high-power external sources. Despite weak reflected radiation intensity for typical plasmonic samples, precise measurements require gate voltage plasmon modulation and lock-in detection techniques, with caution against artifacts. Modulation of drain voltage also influences reflected thermal radiation by plasmons. These findings are crucial for advancing research on resonant plasmon-based terahertz sources, navigating the interplay between electrically excited terahertz emission and reflected background radiation.

Unscreened (ungated) plasmons in large-area grating-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructures were studied experimentally by Fourier-transform spectroscopy. Special attention was paid to the recently discovered THz plasmonic crystal modes observed at totally depleted gated regions when plasma oscillations were localized only in ungated parts of the grating-gate structures. The frequency of these modes is still gate voltage-dependent in the limited range due to the depletion of the ungated parts located close to the gate edges. Double gate structures with an additional bottom gate were fabricated and studied to improve the gate voltage tunability of the unscreened plasmons. Since this gate is located deep below the channel, the plasmons behaved as ungated ones, but their frequency still could be tuned by this bottom gate. We show that the combined effect of the top and bottom gates allows the efficient tuning of terahertz frequencies of unscreened modes in the grating-gate AlGaN/GaN plasmonic crystals.

The paper studies peculiarities of current transport in Au/Pt/Ni/diamond Schottky diodes with the hysteresis in current–voltage (I-V) characteristics and the nonlinear dependence of the barrier height φb on the applied voltage and proposes a method for determining basic parameters. Lateral diode structures were processed on boron-doped HPHT-diamond grown in the Fe-Al-B-C system and demonstrated barrier I-V characteristics with the exponential growth of the forward current of about eight orders of magnitude. It is shown that the voltage-dependent barrier height and hysteresis of the current-voltage characteristics can be explained by the presence of a thin dielectric gap at the metal-semiconductor interface and deep levels with lifetimes of the order of tens of seconds or more. Recharging of deep levels can significantly affect the parameters of the current-voltage characteristics. Three distinct regions were revealed. Excess current at zero voltage (region I) is related to deep-level recharge. Within regions II and III linear dependence of the φb on the applied voltage was observed. A linear dependence of the φb is related to the thermionic-field emission mechanism of current transport. Analysis of the temperature dependence I-V characteristics, capacitance-voltage (С-V) as well as frequency-capacitance (C-f) characteristics of arrays of HPHT diamond Schottky diodes yields information on the distribution of macro-defects, the state of the surface, and doping of the sub-surface region, which can be used for the improvement of the growth process and post-growth treatments for the development of diamond-based microelectronic devices.

The grating-gate plasmonic crystal (GGPC) system, which incorporates a 2D electron gas (2DEG) within the AlGaN/GaN interface and integrates a grating-gate electrode, holds great potential for designing highly efficient and cost-effective devices in the Terahertz (THz) range. We investigate the influence of the grating filling factor on the electrically driven transition between two distinct terahertz phases of GGPC, highlighting the critical role of specific metal grating geometry parameters in facilitating this transition. This study marks the initial demonstration of an electrically tunable transition between localized and delocalized THz phases, representing a significant advancement in understanding THz plasmon resonances. Furthermore, these findings open avenues for the development of all-electrically tunable THz optoelectronic devices, particularly in the realm of electrically tunable THz filters and modulators.

Absorption spectra of AlGaN/GaN grating-gate plasmonic crystals with a period from 1 µm to 2.5 µm were studied experimentally at T = 70 K using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. The plasmonic crystals exhibit distinct absorption lines of various plasmon harmonics across the 0.5 to 6 THz frequency range, tunable by gate voltage. Cumbersome and time-consuming electromagnetic simulations are usually needed to interpret or predict the grating-gate crystal spectra. In this work, we examine an analytical model and show that it can successfully describe the majority of existing experimental results. In this way, we demonstrate a new analytical platform for designing plasmonic crystals for THz filters, detectors, and amplifiers.

We show that terahertz plasmons in AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures efficiently modulate the reflection of room temperature thermal radiation, leading to spectra that are in agreement with the measurements of plasmon absorption using high-power external sources. For typical samples of a few square millimeters in size, the reflected radiation intensity is relatively weak, and measurements need the use of gate voltage plasmon modulation and lock-in detection techniques. We show that unintentional use of lock-in techniques may lead to artifacts and demonstrate what kind of special precautions need to be taken into account. We show that drain voltage modulation also leads to modulation of the reflected thermal radiation by plasmons. Our results are of key importance for the research on new resonant plasmon-based terahertz sources because of the always present superposition of electrically excited terahertz emission and background radiation reflected from the structures.

One of the challenges of using carbon nanotubes electronics is achieving precise control of the conductivity type. It is particularly difficult to obtain the n-type conductive nanotubes. One of the most common methods of CNTs modification allowing to change their conductivity type is chemical functionalization. This paper describes the results of studies on non-covalent modification of randomly oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) layers with methyl viologen (MV), which allows for the change of the conductivity of SWCNT from p- to n-type. The properties of pristine and MV-modified SWCNT have been compared using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The SWCNT conductivity type change was confirmed by photo-conductance under ultraviolet illumination and measurements in the field effect transistor configuration.

This study reviews recent advances in the modern field of terahertz plasmonics concerning the control of resonant properties of grating-gate plasmonic crystal structures. Particularly, we conducted both experimental and theoretical investigations of AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures with a focus on investigations of the resonant structure of transmission spectra associated with plasmon excitations in two-dimensional electron gas at different modulation degree of concentration profiles. Two distinct resonant phases of the plasmonic crystal structure were analyzed. The first one, the delocalized phase, is observed in the case of a small modulation degree of electron gas. In this phase, we found that plasmonic resonant absorption of incident radiation occurs across the entire grating-gate structure, with domination in the gated regions of the electron gas. In contrast, the second phase, the localized one, is realized at a strong modulation of the electron concentration profiles when the gated regions of the electron gas are completely depleted. Here, plasmon resonances are characterized by the spatial localization of absorption of incident radiation exclusively within the ungated regions of the electron gas. Moreover, in the localized phase, we observed the unexpected blue shift of plasmon resonant frequency with an increase of gate voltage. This observation was explained by the result of ‘edge gating effect’ and additional shrinking of the concentration profile of the electron gas in the ungated region. We demonstrate that the correct description of both phases requires rigorous electrodynamic simulations and cannot be achieved solely in the frameworks of simplified single-mode or single-cavity models.

We present an extensive study of resonant two-dimensional (2D) plasmon excitations in grating-gated quantum well heterostructures, which enable an electrical control of periodic charge carrier density profile. Our study combines theoretical and experimental investigations of nanometer-scale AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures and reveals that all terahertz (THz) plasmonic resonances in these structures can be explained only within the framework of the plasmonic crystal model. We identify two different plasmonic crystal phases. The first is the delocalized phase, where THz radiation interacts with the entire grating-gate structure that is realized at a weakly modulated 2D electron gas (2DEG) regime. In the second, the localized phase, THz radiation interacts only with the ungated portions of the structure. This phase is achieved by fully depleting the gated regions, resulting in strong modulation. By gate-controlling of the modulation degree, we observe a continuous transition between these phases. We also discovered that unexpectedly the resonant plasma frequencies of ungated parts (in the localized phase) still depend on the gate voltage. We attribute this phenomenon to the specific depletion of the conductive profile in the ungated region of the 2DEG, the so-called edge gating effect. Although we study a specific case of plasmons in AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures, our results have a general character and are applicable to any other semiconductor-based plasmonic crystal structures. Our work represents the first demonstration of an electrically tunable transition between different phases of THz plasmonic crystals, which is a crucial step towards a deeper understanding of THz plasma physics and the development of all-electrically tunable devices for THz optoelectronics.

Terahertz (THz) spectra of electrically driven two-dimensional (2D) plasmons in grating-gated AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure were investigated in emission and transmission geometry at the temperature of 80 K. The 2D plasmon resonances were observed in the frequency range of 1-3 THz. The resonance position and intensity were found to be related to the grating period and the bias voltage applied to the transistor terminals.

THz radiation emission from electrically excited AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with metal grating gate couplers was experimentally studied in the magnetic field. Special emphasis was paid to the technology and fabrication of the high quality AlGaN/GaN plasmonic structures with two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) integrated with high active area metal surface grating. The THz emission peaks related to 2D plasmons were observed with and without a magnetic field. The positions of THz emission peaks and their dependence on the magnetic field are in agreement with the 2D plasmon resonances. The results pave the way toward new voltage-controlled sources of THz radiation.

We present investigations of the fin-shaped GaN/AlGaN field effect transistors with two lateral Schottky barrier gates exactly placed on the edges of the fin-shaped transistor channel. We call this kind of FinFET modification the EdgeFET. It allowed us to efficiently control the current flow in two-dimensional electron gas conduction channel. We present experimental data of sub-THz detection by EdgeFETs. Control of the side gates allows changing the width of two-dimensional electron gas and forming a wire, as we expect should be beneficial for observation of terahertz plasma wave resonances. This paves the way towards future terahertz optopair using high-quality factor plasma wave resonances, for which it is necessary to eliminate oblique modes. We report also on the high-voltage, noise, and radio frequency (RF) performances of aluminium gallium nitride/gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) on silicon carbide (SiC) devices without any GaN buffer. Such a GaN–SiC hybrid material was developed in order to improve thermal management and to reduce trapping effects should be beneficial for observation of resonant emission.

In this work, we studied the gate voltage dependence of THz transmission spectra of AlGaN/GaN grating-gate structures consisting of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) covered by high active area (2x2 mm 2 ) metal surface grating. Resonance absorption minima revealed in the measured THz spectra were related to 2D plasma resonances existing in the grating plasmonic structures. The high quality of the grating-gate electrode allows us to investigate the plasmon modes in the wide range of the applied gate voltages: above and far below the threshold voltage.

We report on the fabrication and study of graphene gate GaN/AlGaN fin-shaped field effect transistors. The investigated DC, noise, and sub-sub-THz properties indicate their prospective for transparent high-temperature GaN-based electronics. The dependence of graphene gate properties on the bias adds new functionality to these devices.

The gas sensing properties of graphene back-gated field-effect transistor (GFET) sensors toward acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, and chloroform vapors were investigated with the focus on unfolding possible gas detection mechanisms. The FET configuration of the sensor device enabled gate voltage tuning for enhanced measurements of changes in DC electrical characteristics. Electrical measurements were combined with a fluctuation-enhanced sensing methodology and intermittent UV irradiation. Distinctly different features in 1/f noise spectra for the organic gases measured under UV irradiation and in the dark were observed. The most intense response observed for tetrahydrofuran prompted the decomposition of the DC characteristic, revealing the photoconductive and photogating effect occurring in the graphene channel with the dominance of the latter. Our observations shed light on understanding surface processes at the interface between graphene and volatile organic compounds for graphene-based sensors in ambient conditions that yield enhanced sensitivity and selectivity.

We investigate the methods of fabrication effective antenna structures for broadband detection by antenna-coupled fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) in the terahertz radiation range, using AlGaN/GaN technological process. We demonstrate the efficiency of a split bow-tie antenna solution for a single metal layer design and the way to improve antenna design by FinFET shifting to the middle antenna’s part. Modified bow-tie antennas for FinFETs improve the THz response in the frequency range up to 800 GHz with a maximum of response in the range between 200 GHz and 300 GHz.

RF switches, which use a combination of graphene and two-dimensional high-density electron gas (2DEG) in the AlGaN/GaN system, were proposed and studied in the frequency band from 10 MHz to 114.5 GHz. The switches were integrated into the coplanar waveguide, which allows them to be used in any system without the use of, e.g., bonding, flip-chip and other technologies and avoiding the matching problems. The on-state insertion losses for the designed switches were measured to range from 7.4 to 19.4 dB, depending on the frequency and switch design. Although, at frequencies above 70 GHz, the switches were less effective, the switching effect was still evident with an approximately 4 dB on–off ratio. The best switches exhibited rise and fall switching times of ~25 ns and ~17 ns, respectively. The use of such a switch can provide up to 20 MHz of bandwidth in time-modulated systems, which is an outstanding result for such systems. The proposed equivalent circuit describes well the switching characteristics and can be used to design switches with required parameters.