New coherent detector for terahertz radiation based on excitonic electroabsorption

Abstract

We demonstrate a new technique for the coherent measurement of free‐space THz electrical transients, based on the parallel‐field excitonic electroabsorption effect in GaAs quantum wells. A THz transient generated from a photoconductive dipole antenna is measured with a rise time of 290 fs and a full width at half maximum of 360 fs. The initial rise of the THz wave form is abrupt, and does not display the exponential leading edge apparent in waveforms measured with photoconductive techniques. The detector sensitivity is sub‐100 mV/cm.