Ultrasensitive terahertz sensor based on carbon nanotube quantum dots

Abstract

Technologies based on terahertz (THz) electromagnetic waves are currently strongly demanded in a wide variety of fields, such as biochemical spectroscopy, environmental science, medicine, agriculture, security, astronomy, and materials science. These fields require a highly sensitive detector to obtain distinct THz spectra and images. However, the THz frequency region is located between the microwave region and the visible light region, making the development of a high-performance THz detector a difficult task. In this article, we describe new THz sensing and imaging devices based on a carbon nanotube and a two-dimensional electron gas in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure, a highly sensitive and frequency-tunable THz detector and a near-field THz imaging detector.