Abstract
We review applications of all-dielectric metasurfaces for one of the cornerstone technologies in THz research – ultrafast photoconductive (PC) switches – which are widely used as sources and detectors of broadband THz pulses. Nanostructuring the PC switch channel as a perfectly-absorbing and optically thin PC metasurface allows us to engineer the optical as well as the electronic properties of the channel and improve the efficiency of THz detectors. This approach also opens new routes for employing novel PC materials and enabling new device architectures including THz detector arrays.
Highlights
During the early days of THz research, ultrafast PC switches, known as Auston switches [3], dramatically accelerated the development of the field
ULTRAFAST PHOTOCONDUCTIVE SWITCH We start with the operation principle of the PC switch for detection of THz pulses [3,4]
In the OFF state, the resistance of the PC region is very high and no current flows through the channel; when the switch is illuminated with a near-infrared (NIR) pulse from an ultrafast laser the resistance drops by several orders of magnitude initiating charge transport in the channel
Summary
During the early days of THz research, ultrafast PC switches, known as Auston switches [3], dramatically accelerated the development of the field. The PC metasurfaces can revolutionize the PC switch technology and lead to more efficient THz radiation detectors and sources.
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