Optical-to-THz Frequency Down-Conversion
Utilizing Two-Dimensional Plasmons
S. Manabe1,2, T. Otsuji1,2, and A. Satou1,2
1
Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
2
Research Organization of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Abstract—We theoretically study the carrier frequency
down-conversion from optical signals to terahertz signals utilizing
two-dimensional plasmons in an InGaAs-channel high-electron-
mobility transistor (InGaAs-HEMT). We demonstrate that the
down-conversion can be implemented by the so-called photonic
double-mixing functionality in the HEMT utilizing the plasmonic
hydrodynamic nonlinearities and that the double-mixing
conversion gain can be enhanced by orders of magnitude with the
help of the plasmon-resonance effect.
I. INTRODUCTION
T HE seamless convergence of fiber networks and
wireless networks are required for future high-capacity
communication networks, together with the use of higher
wireless carrier frequencies in the millimeter-wave
(MMW)/terahertz (THz) bands1. One of key technologies for
the implementation of such networks is a carrier-frequency
down-converter from optical data signals to MMW/THz data
signals. We have studied the so-called photonic double-mixing
functionality of graphene FETs and InGaAs
high-electron-mobility transistors (InGaAs-HEMTs) to
perform the down-conversion of the 1.5-m bands to the MMW
bands2,3,4. The photonic double-mixing consists of two mixing
functionalities: the photomixing of an optical carrier signal and
an optical subcarrier signal generating a difference-frequency
RF signal, and the mixing of this RF signal and another RF
signal, generating an IF signal. To extend the RF/IF bands
further to the THz bands, the limitation of the operation
frequency bandwidth by the electron transit time must be
overcome.
In this work, we investigate theoretically the utilization of
two-dimensional (2D) plasmons in an InGaAs-HEMT channel
for the THz double-mixing. We show that the hydrodynamic
nonlinearities of the 2D plasmons result in the generation of the
double-mixed THz-IF signal and that the plasmon-resonance
effect can enhance the double-mixing conversion gain.
II. ANALYTICAL MODEL
Here, we extended the hydrodynamic model in [5] to describe
the mixing of a photomixed signal with the frequency, , and
an RF signal with the frequency, RF, by the hydrodynamic
nonlinearities of the 2D plasmons. The carrier transport along
the channel is described by the hydrodynamic equations
together with the relationship between the carrier density and
Fig. 1. Schematic view of the plasmonic THz double-mixing
        
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gate-to-channel voltage swing as follows:
߲݊ ߲
‫ ۓ‬൅ ሺ݊‫ݒ‬ሻ ൌ ‡ሺ‫ܩ‬௱ఆ ݁ ି௜οఆ௧ ሻ
ۖ ߲‫ݐ‬ ߲‫ݔ‬
ۖ ߲‫ݒ‬ ߲‫߶߲ ݁ ݒ‬ ‫ݒ‬
൅‫ݒ‬ െ ൌെ (1)
‫ݐ߲ ۔‬ ߲‫ݔ߲ ݉ ݔ‬ ߬
ۖ
ۖ ‫ܥ‬൫ܸ௚ െ ܸ௧௛ െ ߶൯
‫ە‬ ݊ൌ
݁
where n(x,t), v(x,t) are carrier density and the velocity, ߶(x,t) is
potential in the channel, e is the elementary charge, m is the
electron effective mass, ߬ is the momentum relaxation time, C
is the capacitance per unit area, ܸ௚ ǡ ܸ௧௛ are the gate and
threshold voltages, and ‫୼ܩ‬ஐ is the photoelectron generation rate.
We assume that the photogenerated electrons as a photomixed
signal is injected into the channel from a photoabsorption layer
below the channel layer, which is similar to the HEMT
integrated with a uni-traveling-carrier photodiode structure [4],
while the RF signal ܸோி ݁ ି௜ఠೃಷ ௧ is applied to the gate (see Fig.
1(a)). We adapt the same boundary conditions as in [5], i.e.,
zero ac potential at the source and zero ac current at the drain.
In these conditions, the fundamental plasmon frequency is
written as
ߨ‫ݏ‬ ߨ ݁ሺܸ௚ െ ܸ௧௛ ሻ
߱௣௟ ൌ ൌ ඨ (2)
ʹ‫ܮʹ ܮ‬ ݉
where s is the velocity of plasma wave and L is the channel
length. Parameters of the HEMT were chosen in such a way
that the fundamental plasmon frequency, pl/2, becomes 0.9
THz. Assuming weak amplitudes of both photomixed and RF
signals, we can apply a perturbation theory to Eq. (1) as
follows:
‫ ݒ‬ൌ ‫ݒ‬଴ ൅ ‫ݒ‬ଵ ൅ ‫ݒ‬ଶ ൅ ‫ڮ‬
൜ (3)
߶ ൌ ߶଴ ൅ ߶ଵ ൅ ߶ଶ ൅ ‫ڮ‬
where v0 and 0 are steady-state electron velocity and channel
potential, vn and n are n-th order perturbation terms (n = 1, 2,
͐). In this study, we assume source-to-drain is not biased (v0 =
0, 0 = 0). The first-order terms further consist of harmonically
oscillating components with frequencies  and Ȱ RF: ‫ݒ‬ଵ ൌ
‡ሾ‫୼ݒ‬ஐ ݁ ି௜୼ஐ௧ ൅ ‫ݒ‬ோி ݁ ି௜ఠೃಷ ௧ ሿ and ߶ଵ ൌ ‡ሾ߶୼ஐ ݁ ି௜୼ஐ௧ ൅
߶ோி ݁ ି௜ఠೃಷ ௧ ሿ , whereas the second-order terms consist of
components oscillating with frequencies 2, 2RF, +RF,
dm = |-RF|, together with second-order correction to the
steady state. Extracting only the double-mixing components
with the frequency dm from the latter, we obtain the following
equations for the amplitudes of the double-mixing components,
‫ݒ‬ௗ௠ and ߶ௗ௠ , from Eq. (1):
 ߲‫ݒ‬ௗ௠ ͳ ߲ ‫כ‬
݅߱ௗ௠ ߶ௗ௠ െ ൫ܸ௚ െ ܸ௧௛ ൯ ൌെ ቂ‫ כ ߶ ݒ‬൅ ‫ݒ‬ǼȐ ሺ߶ோி െ ܸோி ሻቃ
൞ ߲‫ݔ‬ ʹ ߲‫ ݔ‬ோி ୼ஐ (a)
ͳ ݁ ߲߶ௗ௠ ͳ ߲ (4)
൬݅߱ௗ௠ ൅ ൰ ‫ݒ‬ௗ௠ െ ൌെ ሺ‫ כ ݒ ݒ‬ሻ
߬ ݉ ߲‫ݔ‬ ʹ ߲‫ ݔ‬ோி ǼȐ
Equation (4) forms a set of second-order ordinary differential
equations with respect to the coordinate x, which can be solved
by applying the above-mentioned boundary conditions, and the
double-mixed signal ߶ௗ௠ with the frequency, ߱ௗ௠ ൌ
ȁȟȳ െ ߱ோி ȁ is obtained.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figures 2(a) and (b) show log-plots of the ac potential
amplitude at the drain, dm, with the frequency dm = |-RF|,
as a function of the photomixed and RF frequencies with
(b)
different momentum relaxation times in the channel,  = 1 ps
and 0.27 ps. The amplitude is normalized by the amplitude of
the applied ac gate voltage, VRF. First, it is clearly seen that the
double-mixed output is generated by the hydrodynamic
nonlinearities in a wide range of the frequencies. Especially,
distinct peaks of the double-mixed signal are seen at dm =
|-RF| = npl (n = 1, 3, …), suggesting double-mixed output
has plasmon-resonance effect the same as for one signal input
shown in [5]. Second, the peak value increases with the longer
momentum relaxation time as we can see in Fig. 2(b). This
figure clearly shows the double-mixed output also has peaks at
 = npl, RF = npl (n = 1, 3, …), suggesting that we can
receive the benefit of the plasmon-resonance effect even if the (c)
frequency of the output is far from plasmon frequency. Since
RF and dm are fixed value depending on a wireless
communication system where double-mixing is applied, this
result suggests that the plasmon frequency should be set either
one of these frequencies (, RF, and dm) to take advantage
of the enhancement of the double-mixing conversion gain by
orders of magnitude with help of plasmon-resonance effect.
In Fig. 2(c), we set the channel length L = 200 nm, which is
shorter than the case in Fig. 2(a), with  = 0.27 ps, so that the pl
/2 becomes 1.1 THz. As expected, one can see the resonant
peaks in Fig. 2(c) at 1.1 THz. This result shows that the peak
frequencies can be controlled by the channel length.
Fig. 2. Log-plots of the normalized amplitude of the double-mixed signal,
IV. SUMMARY dm/VRF, as a function of the photomixed and RF frequencies,  and RF,
with (a) L = 250 nm and ȫ = 0.72 ps, (b) L = 250 nm and  = 0.72 ps, and
We studied theoretically the plasmonic THz double-mixing, (c) L = 200 nm and  = 0.72 ps. Dotted lines correspond to (a) dm =
which utilizes the hydrodynamic nonlinearities of 2D plasmons |-RF| = npl (n=1,3,…) in (a),  = RF = npl in (b), dm = pl in (c).
in a HEMT channel. We demonstrated that the plasmonic
hydrodynamic nonlinearities generate the double-mixed signal
and the plasmon-resonance effect increases the amplitude of
the double-mixed signal resonantly if either of the photomixed, REFERENCES
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