THz performance of 1550-nm-driven photoconductive switches made from GaAs:Er with ErAs quantum dots

Abstract

Ultrafast 1550-nm extrinsic photoconductivity in GaAs:Er makes it possible to fabricate THz photoconductive devices having performance comparable to GaAs:Er devices based on traditional 780-nm intrinsic photoconductivity. This paper addresses the effect of Er doping concentration and its associated ErAs quantum-dot formation on THz device performance, focusing on photoconductive switches.