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In highly doped semiconductor quantum wells (QWs), electrons populate various energy states from different subbands and, therefore, several optical intersubband transitions (ISBTs) can occur simultaneously. Coulomb coupling between these ISBTs gathers the strength of all the individual transitions and concentrates all the oscillator strength in a single collective excitation: the multisubband plasmon (MSP). MSPs are an excellent platform for the study of collective and exotic effects in semiconductors and for the demonstration of novel device concepts. Indeed, the high electronic densities involved in the collective excitation greatly enhance the coupling strength and enable the ultra-strong coupling regime between MSPs and either optical modes in a cavity or phonons in the semiconductor. In this Perspectives paper, after addressing the basic physics of MSPs and the state of the art, we outline the most promising paths for the research community in this topic from the point of view of basic physics, material platforms, and applications of MSPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The length of the transit region of a Gunn diode determines the natural frequency at which it operates in fundamental mode-the shorter the device, the higher the frequency of operation. The long-held view on Gunn diode design is that for a functioning device the minimum length of the transit region is about 1.5 μm, limiting the devices to fundamental mode operation at frequencies of roughly 60 GHz. Study of these devices by more advanced Monte Carlo techniques that simulate the ballistic transport and electron-phonon interactions that govern device behaviour, offers a new lower bound of 0.5 μm, which is already being approached by the experimental evidence that has shown planar and vertical devices exhibiting Gunn operation at 600 nm and 700 nm, respectively. The paper presents results of the first ever THz submicron planar Gunn diode fabricated in In0.53Ga0.47As on an InP substrate, operating at a fundamental frequency above 300 GHz. Experimentally measured rf power of 28 μW was obtained from a 600 nm long × 120 μm wide device. At this new length, operation in fundamental mode at much higher frequencies becomes possible-the Monte Carlo model used predicts power output at frequencies over 300 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When biased in the negative differential resistance regime, electroluminescence (EL) is emitted from planar GaAs heterostructure Gunn diodes. This EL is due to the recombination of electrons in the device channel with holes that are generated by impact ionisation when the Gunn domains reach the anode edge. The EL forms non-uniform patterns whose intensity shows short-range intensity variations in the direction parallel to the contacts and decreases along the device channel towards the cathode. This paper employs Monte Carlo models, in conjunction with the experimental data, to analyse these non-uniform EL patterns and to study the carrier dynamics responsible for them. It is found that the short-range lateral (i.e., parallel to the device contacts) EL patterns are probably due to non-uniformities in the doping of the anode contact, illustrating the usefulness of EL analysis on the detection of such inhomogeneities. The overall decreasing EL intensity towards the anode is also discussed in terms of the interaction of holes with the time-dependent electric field due to the transit of the Gunn domains. Due to their lower relative mobility and the low electric field outside of the Gunn domain, freshly generated holes remain close to the anode until the arrival of a new domain accelerates them towards the cathode. When the average over the transit of several Gunn domains is considered, this results in a higher hole density, and hence a higher EL intensity, next to the anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]