RF doubling and rectification in three-terminal junctions: experimental characterization and Monte Carlo analysis

The feasibility of three-terminal junction devices for frequency doubling and rectification reaching the terahertz range is studied both experimentally and numerically (by means of Monte Carlo simulations). Experiments at room temperature up to 94 GHz for detection and to 4 GHz for doubling and phase detection are shown. The influence of the width of the branches and the shape of the junction (T-shaped vs. Y-shaped) on the frequency response of the devices has been studied. Cut-off frequencies found for frequency doubling are lower than for the rectifying operation of the devices. This difference is attributed to the slow characteristic time of carrier penetration into the stem.