Nonlinear plasmonic response of doped nanowires observed by infrared nanospectroscopy

A terahertz near-field nanoscopy revealing edge fringes with a fast and highly sensitive quantum-well photodetector

We demonstrate the successful implementation of a terahertz (THz) quantum-well photodetector (QWP) for effective signal collection in a scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) system. The light source is an electrically pumped THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) at 4.2 THz, which spectrally matches with the peak photoresponse of THz QWP. The sensitive THz QWP has a low noise equivalent power (NEP) of about 1.1 pW/Hz^0.5 and a spectral response range from 2 to 7 THz. The fast-responding capability of the THz QWP is vital for detecting the rapidly tip-modulated THz light which can effectively suppress the background noise. The THz images of the nanostructure demonstrate a spatial resolution of about 95 nm, corresponding to ∼λ/752 at 4.2 THz. We experimentally investigate and theoretically interpret the formation of the fringes which appear at the edge position of a gold stripe in the THz near-field image.

•

THz scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope with a high-power THz QCL

•

Highly sensitive THz quantum-well photodetector for effective signal collection

•

Nanoscale spatial resolution reveals local optical properties in THz range

•

Experimentally investigate and theoretically interpret the formation of the edge fringes

High electron mobility in strained GaAs nanowires

Transistor concepts based on semiconductor nanowires promise high performance, lower energy consumption and better integrability in various platforms in nanoscale dimensions. Concerning the intrinsic transport properties of electrons in nanowires, relatively high mobility values that approach those in bulk crystals have been obtained only in core/shell heterostructures, where electrons are spatially confined inside the core. Here, it is demonstrated that the strain in lattice-mismatched core/shell nanowires can affect the effective mass of electrons in a way that boosts their mobility to distinct levels. Specifically, electrons inside the hydrostatically tensile-strained gallium arsenide core of nanowires with a thick indium aluminium arsenide shell exhibit mobility values 30–50 % higher than in equivalent unstrained nanowires or bulk crystals, as measured at room temperature. With such an enhancement of electron mobility, strained gallium arsenide nanowires emerge as a unique means for the advancement of transistor technology.

Semiconductor nanowires are promising candidates for the realization of novel transistor concepts. Here, the authors demonstrate that electron mobility in strained coaxial nanowire heterostructures can be higher than in the corresponding bulk crystals.

Electron dynamics in In x Ga1-x As shells around GaAs nanowires probed by terahertz spectroscopy

We present the electrical properties of GaAs/In _x Ga_1-x As core/shell nanowires (NWs) measured by ultrafast optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy. This contactless technique was used to measure the photoconductivity of NWs with shell compositions of x = 0.20, 0.30 and 0.44. The results were fitted with the model of localized surface plasmon in a cylinder in order to obtain electron mobilities, concentrations and lifetimes in the In _x Ga_1-x As NW shells. The estimated lifetimes are about 80-100 ps and the electron mobility reaches 3700 cm² V^-1 s^-1 at room temperature. This makes GaAs/InGaAs NWs good candidates for the realization of high-electron-mobility transistors, which can also be monolithically integrated in Si-CMOS circuits.