Strong photoresponse of edge two-dimensional electrons in a magnetic field

Abstract

Electrons in two-dimensional electron gases in the presence of an out-of-plane magnetic field propagate along the edge with a high velocity of the order of the Fermi velocity. Under microwave and terahertz radiation, photon absorption by these electrons provides a pathway to realising sensitive radiation detection. Here, we develop a detailed quantum theory of the photocurrent generated in such a system by an incident electromagnetic wave and propose an experimental geometry for observing the predicted phenomenon. By using suitably arranged radiation confinement structures, a strong photocurrent generation efficiency can be obtained. We also demonstrate that the resulting photoresponse in III-V semiconductor structures can be orders of magnitude higher than that measured in graphene.