Researcher(s)
- Madison Ramsey, Physics, Washington and Jefferson College
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Joshua Zide, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
Terahertz frequency radiation has potential applications in many fields, such as medical imaging, communications, and security. Today, researchers strive to close the “terahertz gap,” which refers to the lack of technology available to detect and emit terahertz radiation. Photoconductive antennas (PCAs) are lightweight, inexpensive devices capable of both detecting and emitting terahertz devices. The PCAs investigated in this research consist of Au/Ti or Pt/Ti antennas fabricated using a photolithography process on top of an ErAs:InGaAs or ErAs:InGaAlBiAs thin film grown using molecular beam epitaxy. High dark resistance of these devices is associated with higher device efficiency. The purpose of this research project is to determine the factors that influence the dark resistance of PCAs, including parameters such as antenna shape, geometry, and material.