RECTIFYING ELECTROMAGNETIC NANOSENSORS

摘要

The present invention may be embodied as a nanoscale semiconductor for broadband, room-temperature detection of electromagnetic radiation, including radiation in the microwave and terahertz regions of the spectrum. Radiation may be detected by utilizing intrinsic nonlinearities in the electrical characteristics of the nanosensor, such as drain conductance or transconductance. The nonlinearities generate either a measurable photo- current or photo-voltage by rectifying the incident electromagnetic radiation. The invention may involve utilizing the exchange of charge between surface states, formed at the etched walls of the nanosensor, and the interior of the nanosensor channel, as a way to generate the pronounced nonlinearities needed for efficient radiation detection.