Plasmonic field-effect transistors (TeraFETs) for 6G communications

Ever increasing demands of data traffic makes the transition to 6G communications in the 300 GHz band inevitable. Short-channel field-effect transistors (FETs) have demonstrated excellent potential for detection and generation of terahertz (THz) and sub-THz radiation. Such transistors (often referred to as TeraFETs) include short-channel silicon complementary metal oxide (CMOS). The ballistic and quasi-ballistic electron transport in the TeraFET channels determine the TeraFET response at the sub-THz and THz frequencies. TeraFET arrays could form plasmonic crystals with nanoscale unit cells smaller or comparable to the electron mean free path but with the overall dimensions comparable with the radiation wavelength. Such plasmonic crystals have a potential of supporting the transition to 6G communications. The oscillations of the electron density (plasma waves) in the FET channels determine the phase relations between the unit cells of a FET plasmonic crystal. Excited by the impinging radiation and rectified by the device nonlinearities, the plasma waves could detect both the radiation intensity and the phase enabling the line-of-sight terahertz (THz) detection, spectrometry, amplification, and generation for 6G communication.