Polarization sensitive detection of 100 GHz radiation by high mobility field-effect transistors

Detection of 100 GHz electromagnetic radiation by a GaAs/AlGaAs high electron mobility field-effect transistor was investigated at 300 K as a function of the angle alpha between the direction of linear polarization of the radiation and the symmetry axis of the transistor. The angular dependence of the detected signal was found to be A(0) cos(2) (alpha-alpha(0))+C with A(0), alpha(0), and C dependent on the electrical polarization of the transistor gate. This dependence is interpreted as due to excitation of two crossed phase-shifted oscillators. A response of the transistor chip (including bonding wires and the substrate) to 100 GHz radiation was numerically simulated. Results of calculations confirmed experimentally observed dependencies and showed that the two oscillators result from an interplay of 100 GHz currents defined by the transistor impedance together with bonding wires and substrate related modes. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.