Photocurrent and photovoltage induced in a 2DEG under intense, pulsed THz radiation

Full text: Intense THz radiation emitted by FELIX (Free Electron Laser for Infrared eXperiments) induces both photovoltage and photocurrent signals in a high-mobility (μ = 2 x 106 cm2/V s), low-density (ne = 2 x 1011 cm-2) GaAs/AlGaAs-based 2DEG. Within the ∼5 μs FELIX macropulse, there is a rapid response in the longitudinal voltage of a Hall-bar sample, reproducible between pulses. A large response continues well after the pulse; this long-time-scale behaviour varies between pulses if the current exceeds a critical value (which decreases with radiation intensity and magnetic field). Within the macropulse, the photovoltage varies with magnetic field, saturating at low field (<100 mT). The photocurrent shows a rapid, non-resonant response, evident at integral filling factors in both longitudinal and transverse data, and a slower, cyclotron resonant response, peaking at ∼390 μs after the FELIX pulse. No anisotropy in the resistivity under polarised radiation was found