Graphene is very promising for THz application, especially in the fields desiring fast THz imaging, like security screening, communication, biomedical and pharmacy control. However, current graphene-based THz detectors are severely hindered by its poor switching behavior, and lack of internal gain to boost up the responsivity in the framework of plasma-wave self-mixing or thermoelectric detections. A proper means to selectively trigger the photoelectric conversion is highly desirable for practical applications. This work offers alternative way for room temperature THz detection via manipulating the hot carriers either electrically and electromagnetically. Internal photoelectric gain is achieved via the bias-field effect, which leads to the giant enhancement of graphene-based detector’s responsivity over 200 V/W. Furthermore, switching behavior between photoconductive and photovoltaic modes can be given rise in a single device, being promising for scalable THz imaging.
- Changlong Liu
- Lei Du
- Wei Lu
