Extended spectral response of cavity-based terahertz photoconductive antennas and coherent detection of quantum cascade lasers

Abstract

Coherent ultrafast detection has become an important method to study the temporal response of terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), bringing insights into the dynamics of modelocking and frequency comb operation in these complex structures. Coherent detection has been typically based on the use of nonlinear crystals and electro-optic sampling, which are less sensitive to QCLs operating at high THz frequencies. This is because their response drops rapidly with frequency owing to phase matching conditions. Here, we develop coherent detection based on THz photoconductive antennas in vertical quarter-wavelength cavities, where we can freely engineer the spectral response to enhance the THz detection at frequencies greater than 2THz. We develop thick low temperature grown GaAs that is transferred onto polymer and metal coated substrates to create a cavity with an THz response that exceeds the response of non-cavity detectors. This vertical THz cavity also permits the planar electrode geometry to be designed independently. Indeed, we show that the THz cavity can be combined with large surface area single contact electrodes to further enhance the spectral response. Although this proof-of-principle coherent detection is not fully optimised, it is used to coherently resolve the temporal response of a double-metal THz QCL operating at 3THz. This approach opens up perspectives to tune the response of THz photoconductive antennas and enhance their spectral response at a desired frequency.