Broad-band microwave detection with a novel 2D hot-electron device

We present the operation of a new AlGaAs-GaAs multiquantum well hot-electron microwave detector. The working principle of this device is based on the interaction of two-dimensional free carriers inside the wells with the in-plane electric field. We shall report room-temperature responsivity of several 10(3) V W-1, comparable to that of conventional solid-state devices. The different physical principle of operation, however, yields for the present detector a broader frequency range, extending up to the submillimetre band, and short response times which can be estimated around 10 ps. Finally we report a characterization of the device from the point of view of noise. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.