Millimeter wave generation with a quasi planar superlattice electronic device

We report on millimeter wave generation with a superlattice electronic device (SLED) operated at room temperature. The SLED, containing a wide-miniband GaAs/AlAs superlattice, had a quasi planar structure with two terminals lying in one plane. The device showed a negative differential conductance, due to Bloch oscillations of the miniband electrons. The SLED, mounted into a waveguide, delivered radiation in the 50 to 60 GHz range, with a maximum power (400 μW) corresponding to an efficiency of 1%. Additionally, harmonic radiation up to frequencies above 200 GHz was observed. We associate the generation of radiation with current oscillation caused by traveling dipole domains. We also present an analysis, taking elastic and inelastic scattering into account, of the miniband electrons, indicating that our SLED should, in principle, be suitable for generation of radiation up to 1 THz.