Temperature dependence of terahertz emission by an asymmetric intrinsic Josephson junction device

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of temperature on the emission frequency of an intrinsic Josephson junction terahertz (THz) electromagnetic wave source, which can be used for high-speed communications by THz carrier wave. The characteristic emission features of two device types (asymmetric and symmetric) and two bias regimes (low and high) were determined. The bias-dependent emission frequency was temperature dependent in the asymmetric device, most likely reflecting the temperature-dependent London penetration depth. The bias tunability of the emission frequency can be explained by device self-heating, which significantly and inhomogeneously raises the temperatures of the device from its bath temperature. These findings are consistent with previous studies of temperature distribution in these devices.