Room-temperature plasma waves resonant detection of sub-terahertz radiation by nanometer field-effect transistor

We report on room-temperature, resonant detection of 0.6 THz radiation by 250 nm gate length GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure field-effect transistor. We show that the detection is strongly increased (and becomes resonant) when the drain current increases and the transistor is driven into the current saturation region. We interpret the results as due to resonant plasma wave detection that is enhanced by increasing the electron drift velocity. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.