Plasmonic HEMT Terahertz Transmitter based on the Dyakonov-Shur Instability: Performance Analysis and Impact of Nonideal Boundaries

Abstract

Terahertz-band (0.1---10 THz) wireless technology is envisioned as key to future communication networks. For the time being, the lack of compact THz transmitters, on-chip and at room temperature, has hampered the use of the THz band. In this paper the performance of an on-chip THz source based on the Dyakonov-Shur (DS) plasma instability is investigated analytically and with powerful numerics, revealing the importance of the termination impedances on the power of THz signals generated and radiated by a plasmonic transmitter. These results provide guidance for successful experimental realization of DS-based plasmonic THz transmitters.