We present the detailed investigation of an ultrafast silicon based nanoplasmonic three terminal device. The device operates on the principle of ponderomotive acceleration of two-photon absorption generated electrons within a nanoplasmonic waveguide structure. Due to high spatial mode confinement, high spatial asymmetry, and high enhancement of the nanoplasmonic electric field, electrons are accelerated to high kinetic energies and are directed towards the copper anode generating an output current. Application of a negative grid voltage modulates an effective energy barrier that restricts the number of electrons reaching the anode, thus reducing the output current. Operating at electric field strengths up to 1×10⁷ V/cm generates a 150 fs output current pulse of 628 mA/μm. Careful consideration of the materials used facilitates monolithic integration with current complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor nanoelectronics devices.

Date Published: 14 March 2015
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 9361, Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XIX, 936113 (14 March 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2080109

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9361:
Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XIX
Markus Betz; Abdulhakem Y. Elezzabi; Kong-Thon Tsen, Editor(s)